Changanassery, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located 17 km (10.6 mi) south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about 115 km (71.5 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Changanassery has a population of 47,485 people, and a population density of 3,517/km2 (9,110/sq mi).
The Syro-Malabar Church, also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church based in Kerala, India. It is a sui iuris (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO). The major archbishop presides over the entire church. The incumbent Major Archbishop is Raphael Thattil, serving since January 2024. It is the largest Syriac Christian church and the largest Eastern Catholic church. Syro-Malabar is a prefix reflecting the church's use of the East Syriac liturgy and origins in Malabar. The name has been in usage in official Vatican documents since the nineteenth century.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry (Syriac: ܐܦܪܟܝܐ ܪܒܬܐ ܕܫܢܓܢܐܣܐܪܐ, romanized: Afarkaya Rabbta d-Shanganasara; Malayalam: ചങ്ങനാശ്ശേരി അതിഭദ്രാസനം, romanized: Changanassery Athibhadhrasanam) is a Catholic East-Syriac Rite 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.
Joseph Powathil was an Indian prelate of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Changanassery, serving from 1985 until 2007. He was also the first bishop of Kanjirappally, having served from 1977 to 1985. He served as the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) from 1994 to 1998. Powathil was one of the youngest bishops in India, having been ordained bishop at the age of 41 and Pope Paul VI was his principal consecrator. A scholar in theology, Powathil is known for his stance in matters related to the Syro-Malabar Church's liturgy and restoration of eastern traditions. His stance on the fee structure of self-financing colleges had once become a challenge for the Kerala state government.
The Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly is the major archeparchy and the see of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It has been the major archeparchy since 1992 when the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was elevated to the status of a major archiepiscopal church with Ernakulam-Angamaly as the primatal see. The major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly is the main bishop of the jurisdiction, at the same time the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The eparchies of Kothamangalam and Idukki are the two suffragan eparchies of the major archeparchy.
St. Berchmans College, most commonly known as SB College, is one of the first Autonomous Colleges in Kerala, India. Established in 1922, the college is considered to be one of the oldest institutions of higher education in India. The University Grants Commission (UGC) identified the College under its “College with Potential for Excellence” scheme. UGC and the Government of Kerala granted autonomy to the college on June 13, 2014. The college celebrated its centenary in the academic year of 2022.
Charles Lavigne, S.J. was a Catholic bishop of the Latin Church from France who was appointed as the first Vicar Apostolic in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Vicariate of Kottayam on 20 May 1887. After shifting the seat of Kottayam Vicariate to Changanacherry on 16 September 1890, his term ended on 28 July 1896. He later served as the first Bishop of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka from 27 August 1898 until his death at Marvejols in France on 11 July 1913.He is famous for his contributions for education with help of Catholic Church, in Travancore and Malabar region, especially St Berchmans English High School (1891).
Venerable Thomas of Kurialacherry was a Catholic bishop from Kerala. Kurialacherry was a member of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, had his ordination in May 1899 from Cardinal Cassantha, and was bishop of what would become the Archdiocese of Changanacherry.
James Kalacherry was an Indian educationalist and bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, taking charge of the Diocese of Changanassery.
The Archeparchy of Kottayam is a Syro-Malabar Church metropolitan archeparchy of the Catholic Church in India. The archeparchy is exclusively for Knanaya faithful who claim to be the descendants of Syriac Judeo-Christians who migrated from South Mesopotamia to Kodungallur (Muziris) in South India in 4th century A.D.
Manimala is a small town and a village in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala, situated about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the nearest town Kanjirappally. It was declared a folklore village in 2011 by the central government to promote folklore.
Mar Joseph Perumthottam is an Indian prelate of the Catholic Church. Since 2007 he has served as the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry, India.
St. Thomas Cathedral is the Syro Malabar Catholic cathedral of the eparchy of Irinjalakuda in India. It presently exists under the nomenclature and the Canonical Status as Cathedral in the Wake of the Origin of the New Eparchy, effected by the amalgamation of the two independent and important parishes of the locality, namely, St. George’s Forane Church and St. Mary’s church, which were amicably situated side by side for about a century.
George Alencherry is the Major Archbishop Emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church after serving in the postion from 2011 to 2023. He is also a cardinal of the Catholic Church.
Champakulam Kalloorkadu St. Mary's Basilica is an ancient Christian Church in Kerala. It belongs to the Syro-Malabar Church under the Archeparchy of Changanacherry. It is a Forane church, with several parishes under it.
Mar Mathew Arackal is a bishop of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church and an active champion in issues of the environment and society. He served as Head of the Eparchy of Kanjirappally from 9 February 2001 to 2 February 2020. He was also the Chairman of the Syro-Malabar Church Commission for the Laity.
All Saints Syro Malabar Church is an Eastern Catholic church belonging to Syro Malabar rite, one of the twenty two Sui iuris eastern rites of the Roman Catholic church. It is located in Koppam Vithura, India. Administratively it comes under the Archdiocese of Changanassery.
Changanasseri railway station is an NSG–4 category Indian railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of the Southern Railway zone. It is a railway station in Kottayam district, Kerala. Changanassery is the second-largest railway station in Kottayam district. There is a chance to halt a few more trains in Changanacherry due to the increase in the number of rushing passengers in Kottayam and Thiruvalla stations from Kanjirappally, Changanassery, and Kuttanad regions.
Kottayam district is a centre of education in Kerala state. The Orthodox Theological Seminary at Chungam was the first institution to teach English in South India. It was founded in 1815 by Colonel John Monroe. The C.M.S High School was founded by the British missionary, Benjamin Bailey. The first college in Kerala state and the second established under British rule in India was the C.M.S. College (1840). Mahatma Gandhi University is located in Kottayam district. Later, the clergies of Catholic Church, on seeing a need for a English High School for students of Central Travancore, established a residential high school St Berchmans English High School in 1891 in Changanasserry under leadership of Fr Charles Lavigne, then vicariate apostolate of Kottayam. Even though it was started as a school for seminarians, it was made to public soon itself. In 1922, Venerable Mar Thomas Kurialacherry founded the famous SB College Changanassery for both intermediate students and scholars in Central Travancore. Today, both CMS College and SB College are recognised, for their legacy, as reputed and noted institutions of Kerala.
Thomas Tharayil( born 2 February 1972) is the Archbishop of Syro Malabar Archeparchy of Changanssery from 31 October 2024.
