Thiruvananthapuram: The new diocese of the Syro-Malankara Church at Parasala was inaugurated at Balaramapuram Nazareth Home School ground on Saturday. With this, the number of dioceses under the Church has increased to 11. It also has one exarchate. Bishop Thomas Mar Yousebios, who was appointed as the first metropolitan of the diocese, was ordained at a function at Adoor on Thursday. Syrian Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Yousuf Younan, Vatican Ambassador to India Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro and Cardinal Mar Baselius Cleemis Catholicos were among those who took part in the ordination ceremony.
The diocese of Parassala was formed from the division of the southern part of the archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram consisting of the presbyteral districts of Parassala, Kattakada and a large part of Neyyatinkara. In the territory, there are 30,750 Syro-Malankara Church laity among 2,20,000 Christians with a total population of 9,52,500 people. There are 103 parishes, one college, 12 aided schools, 59 other educational institutions and five charity organisations under the new diocese. St Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) is the patron saint of the new diocese.
Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph inaugurated the reception. Mar Baselius Cleemis Catholicos presided over the meeting. Sister Mary Prema, Superior- General of Missionaries of Charity established by Mother Teresa, delivered the keynote address. Thiruvananthapuram Latin Catholic Church ArchBishop M. Soosapakiam, Neyyatinkara Latin Catholic Bishop Vincent Samuel, Changanassery Syro-Malabar Church Archbishop Joseph Perumthottam and CSI South Kerala Diocese Bishop Dharmaraj Rasalam spoke on the occasion.
