Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas of Chicago

The St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy (Diocese) of Chicago is an Eastern Catholic eparchy (diocese) for Syro-Malabar Catholics in the United States. The eparchy (diocese) was erected by Pope John Paul II on 13 March 2001. It is one of the four eparchies (dioceses) of the Syro-Malabar Church outside India. It has jurisdiction over Syro-Malabar Catholics in the entire USA, including Knanaya Catholics in the US. The seat of the bishop is the Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral based in Chicago, Illinois. The first and current bishop of the eparchy (diocese) is Mar Jacob Angadiath, serving since July 2001. Mar Joy Alappat was installed as an auxiliary bishop since September 2014.

Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago (Syro-Malabarese)

Eparchia Sancti Thomae Apostoli Chicagiensis Syrorum-Malabarensium
Seat of the Eparchy (Diocese): Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral, Bellwood, Illinois
Location
CountryUnited States
Ecclesiastical provinceEastern Catholic Eparchies Immediately Subject to the Holy See
Statistics
Population
- Catholics		(as of 2014)
87,600
Parishes42
Information
DenominationSyro-Malabar Catholic Church
RiteEast Syriac Rite
EstablishedMarch 13, 2001 (19 years ago)
CathedralMar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral
Patron saintSaint Thomas the Apostle
Current leadership
Pope Pope Francis
Major ArchbishopMar George Cardinal Alencherry
BishopMar Jacob Angadiath
Auxiliary BishopsMar Joy Alappat
Website
www.stthomasdiocese.org
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Bishop

The first and current bishop of the eparchy is Mar Jacob Angadiath, appointed by Pope John Paul II in 2001.[1] In 1984, Mar Angadiath was the first priest to officially start a Syro-Malabar ministry in the United States in Dallas, Texas. Mar Angadiath was sent by the former Bishop of Palai, Mar Joseph Pallikaparampil, who was in charge of the Overseas Mission of the Syro-Malabar Church. Mar Angadiath is also the permanent Apostolic Visitator to Syro-Malabar Catholics in Canada. Pope Francis appointed Rev. Fr. Joy Alappatt, pastor of Mar Thoma Sleeha Syro-Malabar Cathedral, Chicago as the Auxiliary Bishop of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago on July 24, 2014.[2]

History

The Syro-Malabar Chicago eparchy (diocese) depends on Syro-Malabar priests from Kerala, India; priests would come from the archeparchies (archdioceses) of Ernakulam-Angamaly (Idukki, Kothamangalam), Changanassery (Kanjirappally, Palai), Thalasshery (Mananthavady, Thamarassery), Thrissur (Irinjalakuda, Palaghat), and Kottayam (Knanaya). The Syro-Malabar liturgy was primarily in Syriac prior to the Second Vatican Council. Post-Second Vatican Council, the liturgy was translated to Indian languages Malayalam, Hindi, and Tamil as the Syro-Malabar Church was mainly based in India. Mar Jacob Angadiath commissioned on behalf of the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church, Rev. Fr. Joseph J. Palackal C.M.I. and George Thaila to set the English language Qurbana text to music in 2007.[3]

The American-born Roy Joseph was ordained in 2016 in the Latin Church as a Jesuit priest, although he's a bi-ritual priest in both the Latin and Syro-Malabar rites.[4] On May 5, 2018, Kevin Mundackal of Thornwood, New York, was ordained as the first ever American-born Syro-Malabar priest at St. Thomas Syro Malabar Forane Catholic Church, Somerset, NJ. Shortly after on June 2, 2018, Rajeev Valiyaveettil Philip of Tampa, Florida, was also ordained to the priesthood.[5] Melvin Mangalath Paul was ordained to the priesthood on 16 May 2020 at the Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral in Chicago.[6] Deacon Thomas "Timmy" Pulickal was ordained on 6th June 2020 for the diocese and the Jesus Youth movement.[7]

Parishes and missions

The eparchy's cathedral can be found in Bellwood, Illinois. The Mar Thoma Shleeha Cathedral (Saint Thomas the Apostle Cathedral) is a parish with almost 1000 families and is seat to the bishop. Their cathedral was dedicated on July 5, 2008.

There are an estimated 87,600 Syro-Malabar Catholics (circa 2014) following this rite in the United States. Some of the parishes and missions are dedicated to the pastoral care of faithful of the Knanaya Catholics (Knanaya Region), under the pastoral guidance of Knanaya priests. The eparchy includes 42 parishes and 32 missions. Congregations are located in the following states and provinces:

United States
  • Arizona
    • Holy Family Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Phoenix, AZ[8]
  • California
    • St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church, Santa Ana, CA
    • St Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, San Francisco, CA
    • St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Los Angeles, CA
    • Infant Jesus Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Sacramento, CA
    • St. Pius X Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Church, Los Angeles, CA
    • St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Forane Church, San Jose, CA
  • Colorado
    • St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Denver CO
  • Connecticut
    • St Thomas Syro-Malabar Mission, Hartford, CT[9]
  • Georgia
    • Saint Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Loganville, GA
    • Holy Family Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Church, Atlanta GA
  • Delaware
    • Holy Trinity Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Delaware, DE
  • Illinois
    • Mar Thoma Sleeha Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral (Bellwood, Illinois) (cathedral of the eparchy)[10]
    • Sacred Heart Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Forane Church, Chicago, IL
    • St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Church, Chicago, IL
  • Florida
  • Kansas
    • St. Theresa Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Kansas City, KS
  • Kentucky
    • Divine Mercy Syro-Malabar Mission, Louisville, KY
  • Maryland
    • St Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Halethorpe, MD
    • Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Syro-Malabar Mission, Gaithersburg, MD
  • Massachusetts
    • St Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Boston, MA
  • Michigan
    • St Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Southfield, MI
    • St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Church, Detroit, MI
  • Minnesota
    • St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Minneapolis, MN
    • St Paul Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Mission
  • Nevada
    • St. Mother Teresa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Las Vegas, NV
    • St. Stephen Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Mission, Las Vegas, NV
  • New Jersey
  • New York
    • St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Bronx, NY
    • St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, West Hempstead, NY
    • Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Rockland County, NY
    • St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Westchester County, NY
    • St Joseph Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Mission, Bronx NY
    • St. Joseph Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Hudson Valley, NY
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
    • St. Raphael Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Cleveland, OH
    • St. Mary Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Columbus, OH
    • St Chavara Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Cincinnati, OH
  • Oklahoma
    • Holy Family Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Oklahoma City OK
  • Pennsylvania
    • St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church, Philadelphia, PA
    • St. John Neumann Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Mission, Philadelphia, PA
    • St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Pittsburgh, PA
    • St. Joseph Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Harrisburg-Hershey, PA
    • St. Sebastian Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Exton PA
  • Tennessee
    • St Mother Theresa Syro-Malabar Mission, Nashville, TN
  • Texas
    • St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Pearland, TX!!
    • St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Austin, TX
    • St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Coppell, TX
    • St. Thomas the Apostle Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church, Garland, TX
    • St. Joseph Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church, Houston, TX
    • St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, San Antonio, TX
    • Divine Mercy Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Edinburg, TX
    • Christ the King Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Church, Farmers Branch, TX
    • St. Chavara Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, North Houston, TX
  • Virginia
    • St. Jude Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Northern Virginia, VA
    • St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Richmond, VA
  • Wisconsin
    • St Antony Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Milwaukee, WI

See also
  • Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
  • List of the Catholic bishops of the United States#Other Eastern Catholic bishops
  • List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States

References
  1. "Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago (Syro-Malabarese)". catholic-hierarchy.org.
  2. "Mar Joy Alappatt - Auxiliary Bishop - St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese". www.stthomasdiocese.org. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  3. Palackal, Joseph (2013). "The Eucharistic Celebration of the Syro-Malabar Church". Christian Musicological Society of India. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  4. Yu, Doris (August 11, 2016). "Thornwood Native Is First American-born Syro-Malabar Priest Ordained in U.S." Jesuits.org. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  5. Chicoine, Christie L. (August 2, 2018). "Thornwood Native Is First American-born Syro-Malabar Priest Ordained in U.S." Catholic New York. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  6. "Ordination of Deacon Melvin Paul". Syromalabarphila.org. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  7. "Priestly Ordination - Deacon Thomas Pulickal". www.stthomasdiocese.org. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  8. "Holy Family Syro Malabar Catholic Church". Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  9. "Syro-Malabar Mission Hartford CT". Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  10. "Mar Thoma Shleeha". Mar Thoma Shleeha Cathedral. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  11. "Our Lady of Health oasis of faith, tradition for Indian Catholics". AP (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal). November 27, 2004.

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