Four New Bishops and Two New Eparchies for the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, the Major Archbishop with the consent of the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and having consulted the Apostolic See of Rome, has created two new Eparchies in the Church. They are Pathanamthitta in Kerala and Puthur in the State of Karnataka. Having been elected by the Holy Episcopal Synod, four new Bishops also have been appointed by him for the Church with the approval of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. He has announced the transfer of Most Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom, the present Bishop of Marthandom to the new See of Pathanamthitta and Most Rev. Geevarghese Mar Divannasios from the See of Bathery to the new See of Puthur. Most Rev. Joseph Mar Thomas, the Apostolic Visitator to North America and Europe is appointed Bishop of Bathery. To the See of Marthandom, falling vacant due the transfer of its present Bishop is appointed Very Rev. Fr. Vincent Kulapuravilai, the Professor and Registrar of St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary Trivandrum. Very Rev. Dr. Samuel Kattukallil, the Syncellus of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum and Very Rev. Dr. Stephen Thottathil, Dean of the Faculty of Theology of St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary are appointed Auxiliary Bishops of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum and the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla respectively. Very Rev. Dr. Antony Valiyavilayil OIC, the Postulator of the Cause of Canonisation of Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and the Chancellor of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia is appointed the Bishop of the Curia.

The announcement was simultaneously made in Rome at 12 noon local time and in Trivandrum, the headquarters of the Syro-Malankara Church and at other Eparchial centres at 4.30 p.m. IST. In Trivandrum His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos made the announcement at St. Mary’s Cathedral in the presence of Bishops and a large number of Priests, Religious and Faithful of the Church. The Bishops of the Church invested the Bishops Designates with Episcopal insignia and congratulated them.

THE EPARCHIES

The Eparchy of Pathanamthitta is created bifurcating the present Major Archipearchy of Trivandrum. Its territory consists of the four ecclesiastical districts – Pathanamthitta, Konni, Ranni-Perunadu, Pandalam and the parishes of Anandapally, Angadickal, Chandanapally, Pongalady and Thatta of the ecclesiastical district of Adoor. This Eparchy is spread over a territory of 2100 Km2 with a total population of 1234016 of citizens. The Cathedral of the New Eparchy will be St. Peter’s Church Pathanamthitta.

The Eparchy of Puthur, is created consisting of the northern part of the Eparchy of Bathery. The territory of the Eparchy comprises of the civil districts of Dakshina Kannada, Chamrajnagar, Chickmagalur, Hassan, Kodagu, Mandya, Mysore, Shimoga and Udupi of the Karnataka State. The Eparchy extends over an area of 51950 Km2 with a population of 13000000 citizens. The Eparchy has 21 parishes. There are 6 Eparchial Priests. There are also 6 Religious Priests and 21 women Religious working in the Eparchy. There are 36 educational and 4 charitable institutions. The Cathedral of the Eparchy will be St. Joseph’s Church, Puthur.

Very Rev. Dr. Vincent Kulapuravilai, born on 20 February 1964 hails from Kumarankudy in the District of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and belongs to the Eparchy of Marthandom. His parents are Kochupillai and Maria Thangam. After completing Higher Secondary Education at Yettacode, he joined the St. Aloysius Minor Seminary Trivandrum. He took his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary and degree in Theology from St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Kottayam. He was ordained Priest at his home parish Annakarai on 2 January 1991 by Most Rev. Benedict Mar Gregorios. He did his Master’s Degree in History and professionally qualified himself with B. Ed. He obtained a doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from Rome. He served the Eparchy of Marthandom in various capacities like Parish Priest, Protopresbyter, Correspondent of MSC schools, Member of Education Board, Director of Children for Unity and Member of the Commission for Liturgy. Presently he is Professor and Registrar of St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary. Besides English and Tamil, he knows Malayalam, German, Italian, Spanish and Syriac.

Very Rev. Dr. Samuel Kattukallil born on 13 May 1952 hails from Kadamminitta in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala, India in the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum. His parents are late K. C. Thomas and Annamma. After his High School Education in Kadammanitta, he joined the St. Aloysius Minor Seminary Trivandrum. On completing the bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Theology from St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary Aluva he was ordained priest on 22 December 1978 by Most Rev. Benedict Mar Gregorios. He completed secular degrees of BA, MA, MPhil and PhD from the University of Kerala. After being Appointed Lecturer in Mar Ivanios College, he later served as the Principal of St. John’s College Anchal and retired as the Principal of Mar Ivanios College Trivandrum. From 1979 he served several parishes such as Erathumpamon, Muttathukonam, Pampukala, Vattakarikkam, Kuttichal, Vengode, Manjakala, Kunnapuzha, Kalliyal, Thirumala, Chalai, Palayam, Thiruvallam, Karakulam, Kallayam, Chenckalchoola, Anchal, Thazhamel and Ozhukuparackal as parish priest. Presently he is serving as the Syncellus of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandum. Languages known are Malayalam, English and Syriac.

Very Rev. Dr. Stephen Thottathil, born on 9 May 1952 hails from Karimpinamkuzhy, Ranni, Kerala, India in the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla. His parents are Philip and Mariamma. After High School education in Ranni he joined the Infant Mary Minor Seminary of Tiruvalla. He studied at Papal Seminary Pune and completed bechelor’s degree in Philosophy and Theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune. He was ordained priest for the then Eparchy of Tiruvalla on 27 April 1979 by Most Rev. Isaac Mar Yoohanon. He also completed his Master’s Degree in Theology from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune. After a few years of pastoral experience he did his Doctorate in Moral Theology at the Academia Alfonsiana Rome. Besides his ministry as Parish Priest, he served the Eparchy of Tiruvalla as the Rector of the Minor Seminary, Director of the Malankara Catholic Youth Movement andAssociate Administrator and later Director of Pushpagiri Hospital. He also served the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla as its Administrator when the See was vacant in the year 2003. From 2003 to 2006 he was the Protosyncellus of the Eparchy. Fr. Stephen Thottathil who was the Rector of the St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary during years 2000-’03 is presently serving the same seminary as the Dean of the Faculty of Theology. Besides Malayalam and English he knows Italian, German and Syriac.

Very Rev. Dr. Antony Valiyavilayil OIC was born on 25 November 1955 at Adoor in the District of Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India. His parents are late C. Koshy and Kunjamma. After his schooling at Adoor and Kattanam he joined the Order of the Imitation of Christ or Bethany Ashram and made his First Profession in the year 1974. He had his priestly formation at Bethany Ashram Pune and took the bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Theology from the Jnanadeepa Vidyapeeth Pune. He was ordained priest on 27 December 1980 by Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios, at Mar Ivanios Nagar, Kottayam, the venue of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Reunion Movement initiated by the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios. He completed his graduation from the University of Kerala. From the Pontifical Oriental Institute Rome he took his Doctorate in Oriental Canon Law. He was engaged in the ministry of the Bethany Ashram in various offices such as Master of Pre-Philosophers, Master of Pre-Novices, Procurator and Rector of Bethany Ashram Pune. He was the Director of Bethany Vedvijnana Peeth, Institute of Oriental Thology Pune. He served the Congregation as a member of General Council for two consecutive terms. His pastoral activities in the Church were primarily in the field of the organization of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the Extraterritorial Regions in India, especially in Pune. He also served the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla as its Judicial Vicar. Presently he is the Postulator of the Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and the Chancellor of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia. Besides Malayalam and English, he speaks Hindi, German and Italian and knows Syriac