Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry

Archeparchy of Changanassery
St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral
Location
Country	India
Ecclesiastical province	Changanassery
Statistics
Area	24,595 km2 (9,496 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2009) 9,430,000 385,000 (4.1%)
Information
Rite	Syro-Malabar Rite
Cathedral	St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral in Changanassery
Patron saint	Saint Joseph
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Major Archbishop	George Alencherry
Metropolitan Archbishop	Joseph Perumthottam
Bishops emeritus	Joseph Powathil Archbishop Emeritus (1985-2007)
Website
Website of the Archdiocese

The Metropolitan Archeparchy of Changanassery

Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery is an Eastern Catholic archeparchy in India, under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Currently, it is one of the largest Catholic Diocese in India. It is one of the first two Vicariates (Trichur and Kottayam) and the second Metropolitan Archdiocese of the Syro - Malabar Hierarchy which can be considered as a prelude to the restoration of the identity of the Church in 1992 as a Sui Juris Church.

It covers 13 Forane churches and more than 300 other churches in the Keralite districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. It also manages a lot of Hospitals, Colleges, Schools - both general and those for the physically/mentally challenged, Orphanages, De-addiction centers and Old-age homes.

Mar Joseph Perumthottam is the current Archeparch.

History

The Apostolic Church of St. Thomas Christians has its origin from St. Thomas, the apostle, who arrived on the Kerala Coast in A.D. 52. The Metropolitan of “The See of St. Thomas” was “Metropolitan and Gate of all India”. In the course of history this Church entered into good relationship with the East Syrian Church . The Archdeacon of all India did the full administration.

The Portuguese missionaries who arrived in the 15th century could not decipher the liturgical traditions and the mode of governance of this Church. They Latinized the ancient liturgical texts and forced to convert existing Syrian Christians or Nasranis to present Roman Catholic Church under the Pope. When the domination of the Portuguese missionaries became unbearable, a section of this community broke away from the western supremacy in 1653 and accepted Antiochian West Syrian belief. But a good number returned to the Roman Catholic through unification efforts in 1630. Those who did not return constitute the present Malankara Churches. The others maintained and regained loyalty to the Apostolic See of Rome This relationship started only in 1553 as a half Catholic-half Nestorian position due to a split in the Babylonian Church of the East and strengthened in 1599 through Udayamperur sunnahadose.

The first two Vicariates of Syro Malabar Church are Trichur and Kottayam. The Archdiocese of Changanacherry is the part of the kottayam Vicariate and the second Metropolitan Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, after the establishment of the Syro-Malabar hierarchy which was the prelude to the restoration of the identity of the Church in 1992 as Sui luris Church. Pope Leo XIII of happy memory by his Bull ‘Quod Jam Pridem’ dated May 20, 1887 established two Vicariates Apostolic - Kottayam and Thrissur; exclusively for the Syro-Malabarians and Dr. Charles Lavignefor Kottayam and Dr. Adolph Medlycott for Trichur respectively were appointed the Vicars Apostolic.

The same Pope reorganised the existing Vicariates by the Bull ‘Quae Rei Sacrae’ dated July 28, 1896 establishing a new Vicariate, Ernakulam, with territories carved out from the two existing Vicariates (Pallippuram, Edappally and Arakuzha divisions from Kottayam Vicariate). Indigenous bishops were appointed Vicars Apostolic to the new Sees. They included Mar Mathew Makil for Changanacherry, Mar Louis Pazheparambil (from Changanacherry Vicariate) for Ernakulam and Mar John Menacherry(from Ernakulam Vicariate) for Thrissur.

A new Vicariate of Kottayam was constituted in 1911 exclusively for the Suddists and Mar Mathew Makil was transferred to Kottayam as the Vicar Apostolic of Suddists and Mar Thomas Kurialacherry was appointed the Vicar Apostolic of Changanacherry. With the establishment of the Syro-Malabar Hierarchy on December 21, 1923 by the Bull ‘Romani Pontifices’ of Pope Pius XI, the Diocese of Thrissur, Changanacherry and Kottayam became suffragans of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam thereby constituting the first Syro-Malabar Province.

On July 25, 1950 the Diocese of Changanacherry was bifurcated by the Bull ‘Quo Ecclesiarum’ of Pope Pius XII and the new Diocese of Palai was created.The Holy See being impressed by the wonderful progress achieved by the Syro-Malabarians, extended the hitherto held boundaries of Changanacherry to the areas south of river Pamba, up to (including) Kanyakumari, by the Bull ‘Multorum Fidelium’ of Pope Pius XII, dated April 29, 1955. Changanacherry was raised to the status of an Archdiocese on July 26, 1956 by Pope Pius XII constituting the second province in the Syro-Malabar Church and Kottayam and Pala became its suffragans. The Apostolic Constitution ‘Regnum Caelorum’ of November 26, 1959 of Pope John XXIII gave effect to this decision of Pope Pius XII.

In 1975 the missionary work of three (now five) civil districts of the Archdiocese of Agra in the State of Uttar Pradesh was taken up completely by the Archdiocese of Changanacherry. The Archdiocese was again divided on 26 February 1977 by the Bull ‘Nos Beati Petri’ of Pope Paul VI and the new Diocese of Kanjirappilly was set up comprising parts of the Civil districts of Kottayam and Idukki. The Archdiocese was divided a fourth time when its Kanyakumari Mission was elevated to the status of a new diocese by the Bull Apud Indorum Gentes of John Paul II, dated December 18, 1996. The formal inauguration of the new diocese of Thuckalay and the Episcopal Ordination of Mar George Alencherry as its first Bishop took place on February 2, 1997.

The Archdiocese of Changanacherry now comprises the civil districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kottayam in Kerala and Palai, Kanjirapally and Thuckalay as its suffragans. Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil assumed the office of the Archbishop of Changanacherry on 17 January 1986 and resigned in 2007. Mar Joseph Perumthottam was appointed on 20 January 2007 as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Changanacherry and was installed on 19 March 2007.

Eparchs and Archeparchs

Year	Head	Position
1887–1896	Charles Lavigne	Vicar Apostolic of Kottayam
1896–1911	Mar Mathew Makkil	Vicar Apostolic of Kottayam
1911–1925	Mar Thomas Kurialacherry	Bishop
1927–1949	Mar James Kalachery	Bishop
1950–1969	Mar Mathew Kavukattu	Archbishop
1970–1985	Mar Antony Padiyara	Archbishop
1985–2006	Mar Joseph Powathil	Archbishop
2007-to date	Mar Joseph Perumthottam	Archbishop

Suffragan dioceses

• Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palai
• Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Kanjirappally
• Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Thuckalay

Institutions and Personnel

Foranes under Archdiocese of Changanacherry include Ayoor, Manimala, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kurumpanadom, Edathua, Amboori, Nedumkunnam, Athirampuzha, Kudamaloor, Pulinkunnoo, Champakulam, Changanacherry and Thrickodithanam.

Institutions	Number
Foranes	15
Parishes	181
Filial churches	35
Shrines/Chapels	18
Colleges/Institutes	29
Higher Secondary Schools	29
Hostels	16
Priests	420
Seminarians	160

Important events

• 19 February 1892: Foundation Stone laid for the new Bishop's House at Vedikkunnu.
• 21 March 1891: Bishop Lavigne shifts his residence to Changanacherry.(Mount Carmel CMC Convent)
• 3 February 1891: St. Berchmans, the first highschool of the Syrians founded on the precincts of St. Mary's Cathedral Changanacherry.
• 1 October 1890: Letter of Permission to shift the headquarters of Kottayam, Vicariate to Changanacherry
• 18 December 1888: Bishop Charles Lavigne convenes Changanacherry Synod.
• 14 December 1888: Bishop Lavigne established St. Germane's, the first Orphanage and FCC.
• 10 May 1888: Bishop Charles assumes charge
• 13 September 1887: Bishop Charles Lavigne, Vicar Apostolic of Kottayam.
• 20 May 1887: Establishment of Vicariates of Kottayam and Trissur.
• 15 April 1887: Nazarani Deepika launched
• 16 January 1887: Reconstruction of the present Metropolitan Church.
• 28 July 1896: Vicariate of Ernakulam created, with territories from both Vicariates.
• 21 December 1923: Establishment of Syro Malabar Hierarchy with Ernakulam as the Metropolitan See
• 29 July 1956: The diocese of Changanassery made Metropolitan See
• 3 July 1962: Establishment of St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam.
• 2 March 2003: Diocese of Idukki established.

First Vicar General

• 1889-1892 Msgr Nidhiry Mani Kathanar

External links

• Website of the Archdiocese
• Archdiocese of Changanassery: Information & Photographs
• GCatholic.org
• Catholic-hierarchy.org
• Catholic Bishop Conference of India (CBCI)