Holy Father, H.H. Pope Francis

Holy Father, Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; on the 17th of December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church, the bishop of Rome, and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Francis is the first pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first pope born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century papacy of Syrian pope Gregory III. He was elected to the papacy on the 13th of March 2013 after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

H.E. Mar Raphael Thattil

Major Archibishop- Syro Malabar Church

H.E. Mar Raphael Thattil,  was born to Ouseph and Thresia on 21 April 1956 and was baptized on 30 April 1956 in Thrissur. Lazar (late), Thomas, Baby (late) Francis, Sosannam, Joy and John, are his brothers and sisters. After his primary education at St. Thomas College HS, Thrissur, he joined St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, Thope on 04 July 1971. He completed his study of Philosophy and Theology in St. Thomas Ap. Seminary Kottayam in 1980. He was ordained by Mar Joseph Kundukulam in Thrissur Doloures Basilica. on 21 December 1980. He did his higher studies in Rome and took doctorate in Oriental Canon Law. His thesis was on “Clerical Formation in the Syro Malabar Church: A Historico-Juridical Study”.

After his ordination he served as Asst. Vicar, Aranattukara (1981-82), Fr. Prefect & Asst. Procurator, St Mary’s Minor Seminary (1982-83), Acting Vicar, Koonammoochy (1983), Acting Vicar, Cherumkuzhy (1983). On returning back from Rome, he served in the Archbishop’s house as Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Adj. Judicial Vicar, Judge and later as Syncellus and Proto-Syncellus. He was the director of DBCLC & Catechism (1992-1995). On 20 January1998, he was appointed as the project officer of the new Marymatha Major Seminary, after a few months appointed as the first Rector of the Marymatha Seminary (1998-2006). He also worked as president and member of many a committees and commissions.

He was ordained as Bishop on 10 April 2010 and appointed as Auxiliary bishop of Trichur and Titular Bishop of Bruni. In 2014, he was appointed as Apostolic visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful residing outside the territorium proprium. Pope Francis named him the first Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Shamshabad on 10 October 2017 and he was installed on 7 January 2018.

The installation of the Major Archbishop will be he held at 2.30 pm on Thursday, 11 January 2024, at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the Syro-Malabar Church, Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad.

Ref: https://ccbi.in/mar-raphael-thattil-new-major-archbishop-of-syro-malabar-church/

Archibishop H.E. Thomas Tharayil

(The Metropolitan Archibishop)

H.E.  Mar Thomas Tharayil, born on 2 February 1972, is the youngest son among the seven children of T. J. Joseph and Mariamma at Changanacherry, Kottayam district, Kerala. He attended St. Mary's Metropolitan Church, Changanacherry. He had his primary education in St Joseph's L. P. School, Changanassery, and his high school education at Sacred Heart English Medium School, Fathimapuram, completing his pre-degree course at St Berchmans College, Changanassery.

He then joined the minor seminary of Changanacherry Archeparchy, St Thomas Minor Seminary, Kurichy, for priestly formation. He completed his philosophical and theological studies in St Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor. He was ordained priest by Mar Joseph Powathil on 1 January 2000, the Great Jubilee Year, at St Mary's Metropolitan Church, Changanacherry.

He was the auxiliary bishop of Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Changanacherry from 23 April 2017 until his installation as archbishop.

On 30 August 2024, Mar Raphael Thattil announced the election of Mar Tharayil as the Archbishop of Changanacherry succeeding Joseph Perumthottam. He was enthroned as the Metropolitan of Archeparchy of Changanassery on 31 October 2024 in St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral Church, Changanassery.

George Rajendran Kuttinadar (born 14 April 1968) is the bishop of the Thuckalay diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, appointed to that position by Pope Benedict XVI on 24 August 2012. He was educated in Nashik where he studied philosophy and in Shillong, where he studied theology. He was formerly principal of St. Anthony’s Higher Secondary School in Shillong. He was ordained as a priest on 29 December 2003 and as a bishop on 16 September 2012.

Rev. Fr. John (Jogesh) Polachira

Vicar - St. Mary's Church, Ariyur

Father Jogesh, as everybody lovingly knows him, was ordained priest on 16th January 2014 at St. George Church, Manvettom. Father Jogesh is the Parish Priest of St. Mary's Church, Ariyur.