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. The Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops canonically convoked and presided over by the major archbishop constitutes the supreme authority of the church. The Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the church is based in Kakkanad, Kochi. Syro-Malabar is a prefix reflecting the church's use of the East Syriac Rite liturgy and origins in Malabar. The name has been in usage in official Vatican documents since the nineteenth century.
Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, CMI was an Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic priest, religious, philosopher and social reformer. He is the first canonised Catholic male saint of Indian origin and was a member of the Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic church.
The Major 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.
The Archeparchy of Trichur, in Thrissur District of Central Kerala, India, with nearly half a million Syro-Malabar Catholics now, used to be the largest Catholic diocese in India when it included the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda until 1978 and Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palghat until 1973. Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda, also located in Thrissur District, has over a quarter million Syro-Malabar Catholics now. Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palghat in Central Kerala extends to some regions in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. In 2010, the parts of Tamil Nadu under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palghat were separated to form another Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Ramanathapuram.
Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Kannur in the Ecclesiastical Province of Verapoly in India by bifurcating the Diocese of Calicut on 9 December 1998. The diocese consists of the Latin Catholics of Malabar residing in the revenue districts of Kannur and Kasaragod.
The Archdiocese of Verapoly (Verapolitana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church, composed of Latin Catholics of Malabar and headquartered at the city of Cochin, in the south Indian state of Kerala. The archdiocese has administrative control over the suffragan dioceses of Calicut, Cochin, Kannur, Kottapuram, Sultanpet and Vijayapuram. The headquarters is located in Kochi along the Malabar Coast in India. It was originally formed as the Vicariate Apostolic of Malabar in 1657 and became a metropolitan see in 1886. Verapoly is the anglicised name of Varapuzha.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cochin is a Roman Catholic Diocese of the Latin Rite in Cochin, Kerala, India. It was established in 1557 after the domination of the Portuguese-speaking missionaries. The diocese is a suffragan church to the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and serves the people of Malabar. It is under the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly.
The St. Xavier's Church is a Roman Catholic Church run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Neyyattinkara. Diocese of Neyyattinkara was formed on 5 November 1996 and prior to the formation of Diocese of Neyyattinkara, St.Xavier's Church Peyad was under the control of Metropolitan Arch Diocese of Thiruvananthapuram. The church follows Latin Rite.
Euphrasia Eluvathingal was an Indian Carmelite nun of the Syro-Malabar Church, which is an Eastern Catholic Church in Kerala. Euphrasia is said to have had a vision of the Holy Family, at which point the illness she had long felt ceased. She was canonised as a saint by Pope Francis on 23 November 2014 in Vatican City. Since the beheading of St. John the Baptist is celebrated on 29 August, the feast of St. Euphrasia is postponed to 30 August.
The Diocese of Vincennes was the first Latin Church diocese in Indiana. It was erected 6 May 1834 by Pope Gregory XVI. Its initial ecclesiastical jurisdiction encompassed Indiana as well as the eastern third of Illinois. In 1843 the Diocese of Chicago was erected from the Illinois portion of the diocese, and in 1857 Diocese of Fort Wayne was erected from the northern half of Indiana. The seat of the episcopal see was transferred from Vincennes, Indiana, to Indianapolis, and on 28 March 1898 it became the Diocese of Indianapolis. Pope Pius XII elevated the Indianapolis diocese to an archdiocese in 1944, and erected two new Indiana dioceses: the Diocese of Evansville and the Diocese of Lafayette. The Diocese of Gary, Indiana, was erected in 1956. The Evansville Diocese absorbed the city of Vincennes upon its creation.
St Mary's Church is a Syro-Malabar parish church in Cheloor/Edathirinji, Kerala, India. The church follows leadership by Syro-Malabar Catholic Church under Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda.
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.
St George's Syro-Malabar Forane Church is a Catholic pilgrimage church in Kulathuvayal, Perambra, Kozhikode, India.
St. Mary's Forane Church, Chalakudy, is one of the 10 Foranes or deaneries under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Irinjalakuda, which was established in 1978 by the bifurcation of Thrissur Diocese. Prior to that, Chalakudy was part of Thrissur diocese, the most ancient Diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Thrissur diocese has since been elevated to an archdiocese, Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur, within which comes the Irinjalakuda diocese. There are 16 parishes under the Chalakudy Forane. The people of Chalakudy, mainly in business or service sectors, belong to middle or upper-middle-class families. Chalakudy is one of those areas in Kerala with a high concentration of Christian population, most belonging to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.
Pizhala is an island village, one among the fourteen islands of Kadamakkudy archipelago, located near to the main land of the city Ernakulam. The island is surrounded by tributaries of river Periyar. Pizhala island is part of Kadamakkudy village of Kanayannur taluk in Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala, India.
The Infant Jesus Cathedral is a historic Roman Catholic church established by Portuguese during 1614, situated at Tangasseri in the city of Quilon (Kollam), India. It is now the cathedral i.e the Seat of the Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon, the ancient and first catholic diocese of India. The Church remains as a memento of the Portuguese rule of old Quilon city.
The Church of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help, popularly known as Nithyasahaya Matha Palli or Moonjeli Palli is a parish church coming under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Irinjalakuda. It is situated along the Chalakudy - Ashtamichira Road, about 1 km from Chalakudi railway station at a small hamlet by name, Munjeli, in the south Indian state of Kerala. The parish falls under the jurisdiction of St. Mary's Forane, Chalakudy.
Sebastian Francis is a Malaysian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Penang since 2011. Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of Cardinal on 30 September 2023. He is the second cardinal from Malaysia after Anthony Soter Fernandez.
Joseph Vithayathil was a priest from India who has been declared as Venerable by the Catholic Church. He was born in Puthenpally, Varapuzha, Ernakulam District of Kerala State of India to Catholic parents of the Vithayathil family on 23 July 1865. He had two brothers and two sisters.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Joseph, popularly known as Varapuzha Basilica, is in Varapuzha, a northern suburban town of Kochi City in the Ernakulam district of Kerala state, India. It was built in 1673. The solemnity of the Assumption of Mary is celebrated as an annual sixteen-day confraternity festival, from 31 July to 15 August. The basilica is also a pilgrimage centre in the southern part of India. It serves as the mother church for 14 churches.
