Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Shamshabad

Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Shamshabad

Eparchia Shamshabadensis
Catholic
Location
Country India
TerritoryCovers 23 states and 4 union territories including 2 islands[1]
Statistics
Population
- Catholics		(as of 2022)
123,735[a]
Parishes37 parishes, 69 missions[2]
Churches11 functional, 7 under construction, as of 2017[citation needed][needs update]
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchSyro-Malabar Church
RiteEast Syriac Rite[3]
Established10 October 2017; 7 years ago (10 October 2017)
CathedralSt. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Kukatpally
Patron saint
Secular priests72 (52 diocesan, 20 religious)[a]
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Major ArchbishopRaphael Thattil
BishopAntony Prince Panengaden
Auxiliary Bishops
Map
Website
shamshabaddiocese.org

The Eparchy of Shamshabad is an eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Telangana, India. It was established by Pope Francis on 10 October 2017, and Raphael Thattil was appointed its first bishop.[6] In a letter to the bishops of India, Francis cited India's decades of experience with "overlapping jurisdictions" of different sui iuris churches. He wrote: "With the growth of spiritual friendship and mutual assistance, any tension or apprehension should be swiftly overcome. May this extension of the pastoral area of the Syro-Malabar Church in no way be perceived as a growth in power and domination, but as a call to deeper communion, which should never be perceived as uniformity."[7]

The new jurisdiction was inaugurated with Thattil's installation on 7 January 2018.[8] The cathedral is the St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church at Kukatpally, in Greater Hyderabad.

There are 130,000 Catholics in the Shamshabad diocese with eleven functional churches and seven under construction.[9]

Ordinaries

Bishops

Sl.No Ordinary Designation Year of appointment Last year of service
1 Raphael Thattil Bishop 2017 2024
2 Antony Prince Panengaden Bishop 2024 present

Auxiliary Bishops

Sl.No Ordinary Designation Year of appointment Last year of service
1 Joseph Kollamparambil Auxiliary bishop 2022 present
2 Thomas Padiyath Auxiliary bishop 2022 present

Notes

  1. ^ a b Annuario Pontificio (2023) via Catholic-Hierarchy.org[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Shamshabad (Syro-Malabar Eparchy)". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. 17 February 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Syro-Malabar Diocese of Shamshabad". GCatholic. Gabriel Chow. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  3. ^ Alencherry, George (6 December 2013). "Circular – New Liturgical Texts of the Syro-Malabar Church". Syro-Malabar Church. 2185/2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Patron". Eparchy of Shamashabad. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Diocese of Shamshabad". List of Catholic Dioceses in Asia. UCA News. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Provisions for the Syro-Malabar Church, 10.10.2017" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Letter of the Holy Father". Holy See Press Office. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Kerala church gets back all-India jurisdiction with Shamshabad diocese". The Indian Express. PTI. 7 January 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  9. ^ "New Eparchy of Shamshabad" (Press release). Syro-Malabar Church. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2018.