Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt has been appointed the new bishop of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Eparchy in Chicago, in the United States. (Photo supplied)
Pope Francis has appointed Mar Joy Alappatt as the new bishop of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Eparchy, in Chicago in the United States.
His predecessor, Bishop Jacob Angadiath resigned from the post after reaching the canonical age of 75. He was the first bishop of the diocese in Chicago after it was established by St. John Paul II on March 13, 2001.
Bishop Mar Joy Alappat’s appointment was announced by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., in Washington on July 3.
Father Stephen Alathara, deputy secretary-general of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI) said in a press release that Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, the apostolic nuncio to India and Nepal conveyed the news of the appointment to Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, the major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church.
The date of the installation will be announced later, the press release said.
Bishop Mar Joy Alappat, 65, has been serving the Syro-Malabar Eparchy in Chicago as its auxiliary bishop since 2014.
He was born in Parappukara, in Thrissur district of the southern Indian state of Kerala on Sept. 27, 1956, and after completing his early school education joined the St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, Thope, Thrissur.
He completed his major seminary studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam, and was ordained priest by Mar James Pazhayattil on Dec. 31, 1981, for the Diocese of Irinjalakuda, based in Kerala.
He went to the U.S. in 1994 and served as an associate pastor in Staten Island, New York and in New Milford, New Jersey.
He completed his Clinical Pastoral Education Program and worked at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., as a certified chaplain.
He was invited by Mar Jacob Angadiath in 2001 to serve in the St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago and was appointed as the Director of Syro Malabar Mission of Garfield, Newark and Administrator of Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Garfield.
He was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop on July 24, 2014, and ordained a bishop on Sept. 27, 2014.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is one of two Eastern Catholic churches that have their origins in India. The other is the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.
They trace their faith to St. Thomas the Apostle, who they believe landed on India’s southern Malabar Coast, in what is now the state of Kerala, in A.D. 52.
The Catholic Church in India comprises the Latin rite and the two Oriental rites.
The Latin rite follows the Roman liturgy introduced by European missioners in the 15th century.
The Chicago diocese was the first diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church to be established outside India. Today there are four dioceses, or eparchies, outside India.