Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tiruvalla, India 🇮🇳 (Syro-Malankara Rite)

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Syro-Malankara (Antiochian)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Tiruvalla / Tiruvallen(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Bathery, Moovatupuzha, Puthur

Neighbouring Dioceses: Moovatupuzha (↑), Puthur (↗), Pathanamthitta (↘), Mavelikkara (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for the Eastern Churches

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: St. John the Evangelist, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

History

1932.06.11: Established as Diocese of Tiruvalla / Tiruvallen(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Trivandrum)
1978.10.28: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Bathery
2002.12.19: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Moovatupuzha
2006.05.15: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tiruvalla / Tiruvallen(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Bathery and Moovatupuzha)
2010.01.25: Gained suffragan see Puthur

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2007.03.26 – ...):

Archbishop Thomas Koorilos Chakkalapadickal (67)

Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India

Secretary of Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Tiruvalla (Syro-Malankara Rite)

Archbishop Thomas Koorilos Chakkalapadickal (67)
(2007.03.26 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India)
Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India
Secretary of Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church

Spread the fragrance of Jesus

Born:	1958.10.19 (Kaddapra Mannar, India)
Ordained Priest:	1985.12.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.07.17

Priest of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1985.12.30 – 1997.05.09)

Titular Bishop of Tigisi in Mauretania (1997.05.09 – 2003.01.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1997.05.09 – 2003.01.15)

Bishop of Moovatupuzha of the Syro-Malankara (India) (2003.01.15 – 2007.03.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (2007.03.26 – ...)

Secretary of Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church (2013 – ...)

Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2026.02.07 – ...)

Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal (Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal) (66) (later Cardinal)
(2006.05.15 – 2007.02.10)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Gregorio VII
Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankara (India)
President of Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church

To unite in love

Born:	1959.06.15 (Nedungadappally, India)
Ordained Priest:	1986.06.11
Consecrated Bishop:	2001.08.15
Created Cardinal:	2012.11.24

Priest of Bathery of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1986.06.11 – 2001.06.18)

Titular Bishop of Chayal of the Syro-Malankara (2001.06.18 – 2003.09.11)

Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankara (India) (2001.06.18 – 2003.09.11)

Apostolic Visitator in North America of the Syro-Malankara (2001.06.18 – 2003.09.11)

Apostolic Visitator in Europe of the Syro-Malankara (2001.06.18 – 2003.09.11)

Bishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (2003.09.11 – 2006.05.15)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (2006.05.15 – 2007.02.10)

Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankara (India) ([2007.02.08] 2007.02.10 – ...)

President of Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church (2007.02.10 – ...)

Second Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2008.02.19 – 2010.03.01)

Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2010.03.01 – 2014.02.12)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Gregorio VII (2012.11.24 [2013.05.19] – ...)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2014.02.12 – 2018.02.09)

Bishops of Tiruvalla (Syro-Malankara Rite)

Bishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal (66) (later Cardinal)
(2003.09.11 – 2006.05.15)

(see above)

Bishop Geevarghese Timotheos Chundevalel
(1988.04.30 – 2003.03.29)

Born:	1928.02.02 (Amayannoor, India)
Ordained Priest:	1953.08.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1988.08.06
Died:	2019.06.04 (Tiruvalla, India † 91)

Bishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1988.04.30 – 2003.03.29)

Bishop Isaac Mar Youhanon Koottaplakil
(1978.10.28 – 1987.04.28)

Born:	1930.07.01 (Pazhoor, India)
Ordained Priest:	1954.12.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1978.12.28
Died:	1987.04.28 († 56)

Bishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1978.10.28 – 1987.04.28)

Bishop Athanasios Cheriyan Polachirakal
(1955.01.27 – 1977.09.29)

Born:	1909.02.19 (Tiruvalla, India)
Ordained Priest:	1946.08.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1954.04.22
Died:	1977.09.29 (Tiruvalla, India † 68)

Titular Bishop of Sarepta (1953.12.31 – 1955.01.27)

Auxiliary Bishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1953.12.31 – 1955.01.27)

Bishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1955.01.27 – 1977.09.29)

Bishop Severios Giuseppe Valakuzhyil
(1950.07.25 – 1955.01.18)

Born:	1894.04.07 (Malapally, India)
Ordained Priest:	1929.01.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1933.05.25
Died:	1955.01.18 († 60)

Titular Bishop of Ingila (1938.08.29 – 1950.07.25)

Bishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1950.07.25 – 1955.01.18)

Bishop Jacob Abraham Theophilos Kalapurakal
(1932.06.11 – 1950.07.25)

Born:	1891.02.20 (Olasha, India)
Ordained Priest:	1924
Consecrated Bishop:	1929.02.14
Died:	1956.06.27 (Tiruvalla, Kerala, India † 65)

Titular Bishop of Arad (1932.02.13 – 1932.06.11)

Bishop of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara (India) (1932.06.11 – 1950.07.25)

Titular Bishop of Ammædara (1950.07.25 – 1956.06.27)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Philipos Stephanos Thottathil (73) (2010.01.25 – 2017.08.05)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Thomas Koorilos Chakkalapadickal (67) (later Archbishop) (1997.05.09 – 2003.01.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Athanasios Cheriyan Polachirakal (1953.12.31 – 1955.01.27)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. John’s Cathedral, Tiruvalla, Kerala

Moovatupuzha (↑), Puthur (↗), Pathanamthitta (↘), Mavelikkara (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 9,259 km²

Population: 41,101 Catholics (0.7% of 5,555,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 135 parishes, 2 missions

Personnel: 121 priests (107 diocesan, 14 religious), 310 religious (18 brothers, 292 sisters), 34 seminarians

Syro-Malankara Metropolitan Archdiocese of

Tiruvalla