Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain

The Eparchy of Great Britain is the sole eparchy (Eastern Catholic diocese) for Syro-Malabar Catholics (a Chaldean or Syro-Oriental Rite) in Great Britain, with see in Preston, Lancashire.[2]

Eparchy of Great Britain
Location
Country Great Britain
TerritoryEngland and Wales & Scotland
Statistics
Area229,848 km2 (88,745 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2013)
60,003,000
38,000
Information
Sui iuris churchSyro-Malabar Catholic Church
RiteEast Syriac Rite
Established28 July 2016 (2016-07-28)
CathedralSyro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa in Preston
Secular priests23
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Major ArchbishopMetropolitan and Gate of all India Mar George Cardinal Alencherry
ܡܸܛܪܵܦܘܿܠܝܼܛܵܐ ܘܬܲܪܐ ܕܟܠ ܗܸܢܕܘܿ ܡܵܪܲܢ ܡܵܪܝ ܓܝܼܘܲܪܓܝܼܣ ܡܸܛܪܵܦܘܿܠܝܼܛܵܐ
EparchMar Joseph Srampickal
ܡܵܪܝ ܝܵܘܣܹܦ ܐܲܦܸܣܩܘܿܦܵܐ[1]
Website
http://www.eparchyofgreatbritain.org/home/index

Status

This eparchy is not part of any ecclesiastical province and is immediately subject to the Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church and the Roman Congregation for the Oriental Churches. It has jurisdiction over Syro-Malabar Catholics in the entirety of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales (the United Kingdom minus Northern Ireland).

The eparchy, established in 2016, is the fourth diocesan jurisdiction (after the US and Australia eparchies and the Apostolic Exarchate in Canada) of the Syro-Malabar Church outside India (which per 2017 has the Major Archdiocese, four more Metropolitan archeparchies and 23 suffragan eparchies). Syro Malabar Catholic Church also have an Apostolic Visitor for Europe based in Rome, Bishop Mar Stephen Chirapanath who oversee and liaison the pastoral missions and mass centres in other parts of Europe including Northern Ireland.

Location and structure

Its episcopal see is the Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa at Preston in Lancashire, England. It has chaplains (mostly Indian) in 22 British Roman Catholic dioceses, a national coordination council and eight diocesan departments : Liturgy, Finance, Catechism, Faith Formation, Lay Association, Resolution Committee and Youth Association. Its first and present Eparch (diocesan bishop) is Joseph Srampickal.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Kerala's Syro-Malabar Catholics get new diocese in UK", The News Minute, July 29, 2016.
  2. "Pope Francis erects Eparchy for the Syro-Malabar community in Great Britain", The Catholic Church in England and Wales, July 28, 2016.
  3. "Great Britain’s first Indian Syrian Catholic Bishop ordained in front of 12,000-strong crowd at Preston", British South Indians, October 9, 2016.
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