Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissuris a Roman Catholic diocese in India, under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It was founded in 1887, by Pope Leo XIII.

In 1896, the two Syrian Vicariates were split again leading to the formation of the third Vicariate Apostolic of Ernakulam. Mar John Menacherry was appointed as the Vicar Apostolic of Trichur, the first native Vicar Apostolic for Syrian Catholics. In 1921, Mar Francis Vazhapilly was appointed as the Vicar Apostolic.

Mar George Alapatt became the bishop of Trichur diocese in 1944. Following his retirement as bishop, Mar Joseph Kundukulam was appointed as the bishop in 1970.

The diocese of Trichur was split in 1974 to form the Diocese of Palghat, and again in 1978 to form the Diocese of Irinjalakkuda.

in May 1995, Pope John Paul II raised the diocese of Trichur to the status an Archdiocese. Mar Joseph Kundukulam was named the first Archbishop of Trichur Archdiocese.

Mar Kundukulam retired as archbishop in 1997, and Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy was appointed as the new Archbishop of Trichur Archdiocese.

On May 1, 2004, Mar Andrews Thazhath was appointed as the first Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Trichur. He succeeded Archbishop Thoomkuzhy as Archbishop in January 2007.

uffragan dioceses

*Diocese of Irinjalakuda
*Diocese of Palghat

Vicars Apostolic

*Mar Adolph Medlycott (1887 - 1896)
*Mar John Menacherry (1896 - 1919)

Bishops

*Mar Francis Vazhapilly (1919 - 1944)
*Mar George Alapatt (1944 - 1970)

Archbishops

*Mar Joseph Kundakulam (1970 - 1997)
*Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy (1997 - 2007)
*Mar Andrews Thazhath (2007 -)

Parishes, Population

The total number of parishes is 192. In addition, there are 41 stations in the archdiocese.

The population of Syro-Malabar Catholics in Trichur archdiocese is over 4,60,000.

External links

* [http://www.trichurarchdiocese.org/ Archdiocese of Thrissur]