Aaqibjavaid at 07:17, 17 April 2026

2026-04-17T07:17:00Z

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{{short description|Syro-Malabar Catholic territory in India}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Diocese of Pala]] in Chad}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox diocese
|jurisdiction = Eparchy
|name = Palai
|local = ܐܦܪܟܝܐ ܕܦܠܝ
|image = St. Thomas Cathedral, Pala.jpg
|caption =
|country = [[India]]
|province = [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery|Metropolitan Province of Changanassery]]
|metropolitan =
|denomination = [[Catholic Church]]
|sui_iuris_church = [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]]
|cathedral = [[St. Thomas Cathedral, Pala|Cathedral of St Thomas]] in [[Pala, Kerala|Palai]]
|cocathedral =
|established = 25 July 1950
|patron = [[Immaculate Conception]] [[Thomas the Apostle|St Thomas the Apostle]] [[St. Alphonsa]]
|parishes =
|area_km2 = 1,166
|population = 695,000
|population_as_of = 2009
|catholics = 326,747
|catholics_percent= 47
|pope = {{incumbent pope}}
|major_archbishop = [[Raphael Thattil|Mar Raphael Thattil]]
|metro_archbishop = [[Thomas Tharayil (archbishop of Changanassery)|Mar Thomas Tharayil]]
|coadjutor =
|bishop = [[Joseph Kallarangatt|Mar Joseph Kallarangatt]]
|auxiliary_bishops=
|emeritus_bishops = Mar Joseph Pallikaparampil Bishop Emeritus (1981-2004) [[Jacob Muricken|Mar Jacob Muricken]] auxiliary bishop emeritus(2012-2022)
|website = {{url|https://www.palaidiocese.com/}}
|headquarters=
|coat=Palai_diocese.png}}
The '''Eparchy of Palai''' is a [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church|Syro-Malabar Catholic]] ecclesiastical jurisdiction or [[eparchy]] of the [[Catholic Church]] with an area of 1166 km2<ref>{{cite book|last1=Diocesan Curia|first1=Palai|title=Directory|date=2016|publisher=St. Thomas Press|location=Palai}}</ref> comprising the [[Meenachil]] taluk and a few villages of the neighbouring taluks in [[Kottayam district|Kottayam]], [[Ernakulam district|Ernakulam]], and [[Idukki district|Idukki]] districts of central [[Kerala]] in [[South India]]. The faithful of this eparchy, numbering 326,742, belong to the ancient [[Saint Thomas Christians|St. Thomas Christian community]]. The seat of the bishop is the St. Thomas Cathedral based in the town of [[Pala, Kerala|Palai]]. The current bishop is Mar [[Joseph Kallarangatt]], serving since March 2004.

[[Pope Pius XII]] established the eparchy bifurcating then [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery|Eparchy of Changanacherry]], and out of the territory covered by the then foranes of Palai, Muttuchira, Kuravilangad, Anakkallu and Ramapuram on 25 July 1950. Initially, the eparchy was erected as a suffragan of the [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly|Acheparchy of Ernakulam]]. The then apostolic nuncio to India, [[Leo Peter Kierkels|Archbishop Leo P. Kierkels]], installed Sebastian Vayalil as the first bishop of the new eparchy. Eparchy of Changanacherry was elevated to the status of Archeparchy and constituted the new ecclesiastical province of Changanacherry on 22 August 1956. Thus, the eparchy of Palai became one of its suffragans.

[[File:Syro-Malabar_Rite_of_Renewal_of_Malka_by_bishop_Mar_Joseph_Kallarangatt.webm|thumb|Rite of Renewal of [[Holy Leaven]] (Malka) by [[Joseph Kallarangatt]] and Co Celebrant: Malpan Malpane Koonammackal Thoma Kathanar at Beth Aprem Nasrani Dayara at [[Kuravilangad]]]]

== History ==

[[Pope Pius XII]], by the Bull "Quo Ecclesiarum", issued on 25 July 1950, bifurcated the eparchy of Changanacherry and out of the territory covered by the then Foranes of Palai, Muttuchira, Kuravilangad, Anakkallu, and Ramapuram erected the eparchy of Palai as a suffragan of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam. Leo P. Kierkels, the Apostolic Internuncio in India, published the Bull in the St. Thomas Cathedral Palai on 4 January 1951 and installed Sebastian Vayalil as the first bishop of the new eparchy. On 22 August 1956, when the Holy See by the Ap. Const. ‘Regnum Coelorum’ raised the eparchy of Changanacherry to the status of an archeparchy and constituted the new ecclesiastical province of Changanacherry, the eparchy of Palai became one of its suffragans.

[[Jacob Muricken]] was appointed as auxiliary bishop in 2012. In 2022, he received approval from Synod of Syro-Malabar Bishops to leave the position of auxiliary bishop and live as a [[hermit]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian bishop quits to become a hermit - UCA News |url=https://www.ucanews.com/news/indian-bishop-quits-to-become-a-hermit/98500 |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=ucanews.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Joseph Kallarangatt]] is the current and third bishop of the eparchy and has held this position since 2004. As the delegate of Syro-Malabar Synod, he attended XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Family held at Rome from 4-25 October 2015.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Diocesan Curia|first1=Palai|title=Directory|date=2016|publisher=St. Thomas Press}}</ref>
== Prelates ==
'''Bishops'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sl.no
! Ordinary
! Designation
! Year of appointment
! Last year of service
|-
| 1
| [[ Sebastian Vayalil ]]
| align="center" | Bishop
| align="center" |1950
| align="center" |1981
|-
| 2
| [[Joseph Pallikaparampil]]
| align="center" | Bishop
| align="center" | 1981
| align="center" | 2004
|-
| 3
| [[Joseph Kallarangatt]]
| align="center" | Bishop
| align="center" | 2004
| align="center" | ''present''
|}
'''Auxilary Bishop'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sl.no
! Ordinary
! Designation
! Year of appointment
! Last year of service
|-
| 1
| [[Joseph Pallikaparampil]]
| align="center" | Auxiliary bishop
| align="center" | 1973
| align="center" | 1981
|-
| 2
| [[ Jacob Muricken]]
| align="center" | Auxiliary bishop
| align="center" | 2012
| align="center" | 2022
|}
'''Prelates Hailing from the Eparchy'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sl.no
! Ordinary
! Designation
! Year of appointment
! Last year of service
|-
| 1
| [[ Joseph Srampickal ]]
| align="center" | Bishop - Great Britain
| align="center" | 2016
| align="center" | ''Present''
|-
| 2
| [[ Jacob Angadiath ]]
| align="center" | Bishop - Chicago, USA
| align="center" | 2001
| align="center" | 2022
|-
| 3
| [[ Joseph Kollamparambil ]]
| align="center" | Auxiliary bishop - Shamshabad
| align="center" | 2022
| align="center" | ''Present''
|-
| 4
| [[Jose Sebastian Thekkumcherikunnel]]
| align="center" | Bishop - Jullundur
| align="center" | 2025
| align="center" | ''Present''
|}

== Saints and causes for canonisation ==
*St. [[Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception]]
*Blessed [[Thevarparampil Kunjachan]] (born Augustine)
*Venerable [[Mathew Kadalikkattil]]
*Servant of God Sr. Mariam Arampulickal (Mary Collette of the Infant Jesus)<ref>{{Cite web |title=1984 |url=http://newsaints.faithweb.com/year/1984.htm |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=newsaints.faithweb.com}}</ref>
*[[Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar]] (1736–1799)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.palaidiocese.com/ Pala Eparchy]
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/pala1.htm Eparchy of Palai]
* [http://www.thesyromalabarchurch.org/pala.htm Profile of the Eparchy of Palai]
* [https://www.palaidiocese.com/forane Foranes]

{{Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Hierarchy}}
{{Christianity in Kerala}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palai, Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of}}
[[Category:Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery]]
[[Category:Syro-Malabar Catholic dioceses]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1950]]
[[Category:Dioceses established in the 20th century]]
[[Category:1950 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Pala, Kerala]]

Eparchy of Palai - Revision history

Aaqibjavaid at 07:17, 17 April 2026