Diocese of Alleppey Dioecesis Alleppeyensis ആലപ്പുഴ രൂപത | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | India |
Ecclesiastical province | Trivandrum |
Metropolitan | Trivandrum |
Headquarters | Alappuzha |
Statistics | |
Area | 333 km2 (129 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2015) 805,000 163,076 (20.3%) |
Parishes | 66 |
Information | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | 19 June 1952 |
Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trivandrum |
Cathedral | Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Alappuzha |
Patron saint | Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Joseph the Worker |
Secular priests | 133 |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | James Raphel Anamparambil |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Thomas J. Netto |
Website | |
dioceseofalleppey |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Alappuzha (Latin : Alleppeyen(sis)) is a diocese centered on the city of Alleppey in the ecclesiastical province of Trivandrum in India. It lies along the Arabian Sea between the dioceses of Cochin and Quilon, covering an area of 333 square kilometers. The Diocese of Alappuzha is headed by the archbishop, Bishop James Raphel Anamparambil (incumbent since 2019). [1] The Episcopal see is the Bishop's House which is located near the Alappuzha Beach. The cathedral church of Alleppey is the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral located at Convent Square, Alappuzha.
These are the most important pilgrim centers in the Diocese of Alleppey.
The Diocese of Alleppey was erected by the 1952 papal bull Ea Redemptoris Verba of Pope Pius XII, which divided the northern territory of the old Cochin Diocese at the Kuthiathodu Canal Line. The territory to the north of that line now belongs to the Cochin Diocese and the territory to the south to the Diocese of Alleppey. The executorial decree of 8 September 1952 assigned to the Diocese of Alleppey and Cochin respectively a supplementary personal jurisdiction over certain parishes in the territory of the other. This decree was approved by the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith on 24 September 1952 and became effective on 11 October 1952.
The boundaries are defined as: to the north, the Kuthiathodu Canal Line; to the south, a straight line from the curve of the Pampa River at Viyapuram to the Arabian Sea through Thottappally; to the east, a line along the middle of the Vembanadu Lake continued to the south of the Pallathuruthy Canal to Viyapuram; to the west, the Arabian Sea.
The area assigned to the diocese comprises roughly the area of the Jesuit Mission of St. Andre of Muteret. The Jesuits started mission work among the St Thomas Christians in this area about 1570. One of the most influential Jesuit missionaries who worked in this area was Fr. Giacomo Fenicio, an Italian who was Vicar of St Andrew's Church at Arthunkal, from 1584 to 1602 and again from 1619 until his death in 1632. He was a pioneer in Indology.
A century of intense mission work of the Jesuits increased the size of Christian community from Cochin to Purakkad and built several churches, notable among them being St. Andrew's Arthukal (1581). St. Michael's Kattor(1590), St. Thomas Thumpoly (1600) and St. George's Manakodam (1640). A few other churches built during this period were destroyed by wars or by sea erosion.
After the Schism of the Coonan Cross, the St. Thomas Christians of the Mission of St. Andre were reconciled to Rome by Msgr. Giuseppe Sebastiani during his second tour of Malabar in 1662.
Even after the capture of Cochin by the Dutch, the Jesuits continued to look after the Christians of this area until the middle of the 18th century. The mission was then taken over by the Carmelite Missionaries and remained under the Vicariate of Verapoly until the restoration of the old Cochin diocese in 1886.
In 1570 Jesuit missionaries started to work in the area. Five churches were built:
On 19 June 1952 the Diocese of Alleppey was created by a division of the Diocese of Cochin.
There have been four Latin Rite bishops of Alleppey:
S. No | Name | Designation |
---|---|---|
1. | Most. Rev. Msgr. Dr. Thomas J. Netto | Metropolitan Archbishop |
2. | Rt.Rev.Dr.James Raphael Anaparambil | Bishop |
3. | Very Rev.Msgr.Joy Puthenveetil | Vicar General & Chancellor |
4. | Very Rev.Fr.Yesudas Kattungalthayil | Judicial Vicar |
5. | Fr Gracious Savio Victor Kakkariyil | Secretary to the Bishop & Vice-Chancellor |
6. | Rev. Fr. George Kizhakkeveetil | Vicar Forane |
7. | Rev. Fr. Joslad Koilparampil | Vicar Forane |
8. | Rev. Fr.Alan Lesly Panackal , B.A | Vicar Forane |
9. | Rev. Fr. Stephen J. Punnakal | Vicar Forane |
10. | Rev. Fr. Francis Xavier Kaithavalappil , M.A. | Vicar Forane |
11. | Rev. Fr. Raju James Kalathil , M.Ph., L.L.B. | Vicar Forane |
St. Antony's Orphanage, founded by the Diocese of Alappuzha, is located opposite the Mount Carmel Cathedral, Alappuzha. [3] More than ten thousands of alumni's are working in different parts of the world from this organization which was firmly established by Servant of God Mgr. Reynolds Purackal and Former Bishop Michael Arattukulam. [4] [5]
Alappuzha district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was formed as Alleppey district on 17 August 1957, the name of the district being changed to Alappuzha in 1990. It is the smallest district of Kerala. Alleppey town, the district headquarters, was renamed Alappuzha in 2012, even though the anglicised name is still commonly used to describe the town as well as the district.
Arthunkal is a coastal town and a major pilgrim centre in the south Indian state of Kerala. It is 40 kilometre south of Cochin city and 21 kilometre north of Alleppey town. It is a rapidly developing satellite town of Kochi. Arthunkal lies in the taluk of Cherthala, which is in turn a part of the district of Alleppey.
The Archeparchy of Changanacherry is a Syro-Malabar Catholic archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in India in terms of area. Joseph Perumthottam is the current Metropolitan Archbishop, serving since 2007. Thomas Tharayil has been the auxiliary bishop since 2017. Suffragan eparchies of the Changanassery archeparchy includes Palai, Kanjirappally-Nilackal, and Thuckalay-Thiruvithancode.
Alappuzha or Alleppey is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in state of Kerala, India. The Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India which attracts millions of domestic and international tourists.
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Thumpoly is coastal town in the Alappuzha district, India, and is a well-known Christian Marian pilgrimage shrine of Kerala. Thumpoly church - is a heritage church built by the Portuguese and was established in the year 1600 with stone and wood. For the first time in India, the statue of the Mother of God Holy Virgin Mary was enshrined in Thumpoly Church. Even today, Thumpoly Church still following has the traditional/heritage traditional rituals. In 1585 AD, The Confraternity-Visionary Community was established in Thumpoly Church. This church Includes under the Diocese of Alleppey - Roman Catholic Diocese of Alleppey. In the 06th century AD, a few Christians migrated to Thumpoly and established a small thatched church there called "Thomapally". Thus began the Christian tradition of Thumpoly. In AD-820 the bishops of Syria, Mar Sapor and Mar Proth, on their way from Manakodam to Kollam, visited Thumpoly, where the cross established and later the said cross came to be known as "Muthappan Kurish". Thumpoly Church, the second most important church in the Diocese of Alleppey, is expected to receive the status of the second ""Minor Basilica"" in the Diocese. Thumpoly is located at a distance of 80 km from Kochi International Airport, 60 km from Cochin city, 6 km from Alappuzha city, 20 km from Cherthala, 25 km from kuttanadu, 34 km from Changanassery and 52 km from kayamkulam. It is connected to Alappuzha, Arthunkal, Kochi, Ernakulam by road and railway. It is located on the edge of NH 66. The National Highway 66 cuts through the middle of the town. The Arabian Sea is on one side, and a small lake on the other, with the beach of Chakara in Kerala. It is a natural habitat of many rare birds. Thumpoly is known for its canals, which end their course in the Arabian Sea. There are fishing villages on the beaches. The local population are also involved in coir making. Thumpoly is located on the border of Alappuzha Municipality. Thumpoly shares border with Alappuzha Municipality and Aryad Grama Panchayat. Thumpoly church is the largest landmark of Thumpoli.
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The Diocese of Cochin is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the city of Cochin, India. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Verapoly. The diocese serves Latin Catholics of Malabar.
Kattoor is a coastal village in Aryad Block Alappuzha district, Kerala, India. It is under Mararikulam south panchayath. Located 8 km towards North from Alappuzha and 3 km from Aryad. Kattoor is surrounded by Alappuzha Block at South, Kanjikkuzhy Block at North, Cherthala Block at North, Champakulam Block at South.
Michael Arattukulam was the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alleppey and an advocate of the Rotae Romanae.
The largest shrine of St Sebastian in the world, the church known as Arthunkal St. Andrew's Basilica and St. Sebastian's International Shrine in Arthunkal, Cherthala, Alappuzha district, Kerala, India, was constructed by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. The grand annual feast of St Sebastian Arthunkal in January, which lasts for a month accompanied by millions of pilgrims is one of the important celebrations and major attractions in India.The feast of shrine Basilica also known as makaram perunnal. The church was rebuilt in 1584 under the vicar Jacomo Fenicio, an Italian Jesuit whose devotees claim to possess powers to heal the body and mind. Devotees fondly referred to him as "Arthunkal Veluthachan", "fair skinned father". Fenicio died in 1632. Eight years after his death, the church was rebuilt again, this time reoriented to face west towards the long white-sand beach on the shores of the Arabian Sea. In 1647, a statue of St. Sebastian, struck with arrows all over his bleeding body sculptured in Milan, was brought and placed in the Arthunkal church.
Joseph Kariyil is an Indian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been bishop of Cochin since 2009.
Thumpoly St. Thomas Church Marian Pilgrimage Shrine is a church in Thumpoly, Kerala, India, and is a well-known Christian Marian pilgrimage shrine of Kerala. For the first time in India, the statue of the Mother of God Holy Virgin Mary was enshrined in Thumpoly Church. Even today, Thumpoly Church still following has the traditional/heritage traditional rituals. In 1585 AD, The Confraternity-Visionary Community was established in Thumpoly Church. This church is also known as "Thumpoly Pally". This Church Includes under the Diocese of Alleppey-(Roman Catholic Diocese of Alleppey ). Thumpoly Church, the second most important church in the Diocese of Alleppey, is expected to receive the status of the second `Minor Basilica´ in the Diocese. A few Christians migrated to Thumpoly in the 06th century AD and established a small thatched church called ``Thomapally there. Thus began the Christian tradition of Thumpoly. Thumpoly is located 6 kilometers from Alappuzha city, 80 kilometers from Kochi International Airport, 60 Kilometers from Kochi -Cochin City, 20 kilometers from Cherthala, 25 kilometers from Kuttanadu, 34 Kilometers from Changanassery and 52 kilometers from Kayamkulam. This is an ancient and is a heritage church with a long tradition that was built by the Portuguese and was established in the AD 1600s(With stone and wood). It is one of the important Christian pilgrimage shrines of Kerala and Alappuzha district. It is the second most important pilgrimage or Church centre in the Diocese of Alleppey. Thumpoly church is under the protection of the Department of Archaeology.