Eparchy of Marthandam

Heavenly Patrons: St. Paul and St. Therese of Lissieux
Bishop's House Marthandom - 629 165
Kanyakumari Dist
Tel. 04651- 270180, E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

It is firmly believed and traditionally accepted that St. Thomas, one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ had come to India in 52 A.D. Among the churches established by St. Thomas, the Civil District of Kanyakumari is privileged to have the "Arapally" at Thiruvithancode. Though there was a Christian community in Kanyakumari right from the beginning of the 1 st century, it could not continue to grow to a sizeable Christian community. In the 16th century, the Portuguese Missionaries arrived in the Civil District of Kanyakumari and as the result of their missionary work, the Christian community began to grow. Later during the British regime in India, the Protestant missionaries also started evangelization works among the people in the Civil District of Kanyakumari, which was in fact a part of the erstwhile State of Travancore.

On 20th September 1930, when Metropolitan Archbishop Mar Ivanios together with a group of four others (a Bishop, a Priest, a deacon and a layman) reunited with the Catholic Church, the Malankara Church paved the way for regaining its Catholic communion. On 11th June 1932 by the apostolic constitution Christo Pastorum Principi, His Holiness Pope Pius XI established the Syro Malankara Catholic Hierarchy comprising the Archdiocese of Trivandrum and the Diocese of Thiruvalla. Mar Ivanios, the pioneer of the Reunion Movement, extended his mission work to Kanyakumari Civil District in 1934. With the dedicated service of the Priests and the Religious from various Dioceses and religious Congregations, many parishes and missions of the Malankara Church were established in the District of Kanyakumari. After the demise of Mar Ivanios, under the guidance of His Grace Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios of happy memory, the number of parishes and missions increased. Vocation to priesthood and the Religious life from this region also increased. At the demise of His Grace Mar Gregorios, His Grace Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios assumed the office of the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum. Considering the linguistic, social and cultural heritage of the people of this region and the vast area of the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum, at the request of His Grace Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, by an Apostolic Decree dated 16th December 1996, bifurcated the Metropolitan Eparchy and erected the Eparchy of Marthandom having its head quarters at Marthandom. His Excellency Most Rev. Lawrence Mar Ephraem was appointed as its first Bishop. Thus the fourth Diocese of the Malankara Catholic Church came into existence. The enthronement of His Excellency Most.Rev. Lawrence Mar Ephraem took place on 23rd January 1997 at the Christuraja Cathedral, Marthandom. His Grace Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum officiated the liturgical ceremony, and executed the Papal Bull of the erection of the new Eparchy of Marthandom.

After a prolonged illness, His Excellency Bishop Lawrence Mar Ephraem slept in Our Lord on 8.4.1997. On 16th April 1998, His Holiness Pope John Paul II appointed Most Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom as the second Bishop of the Eparchy of Marthandom. His Excellency was consecrated as Bishop on 29th June 1998 and was enthroned as the Bishop of Marthandom on 1st July 1998. The eparchy of Marthandam celebrated the Tenth anniversary of its erection on December 16, 2006. On the occasion, the then Archbishop of Tiruvalla, His Grace Isaac Mar Cleemis celebrated the solemn Holy Qurbana in Cathedral concelebrated by His Excellency Most Rev.Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom and other priests.

His Holiness Pope John Paul II promoted and declared the Syro Malankara Catholic Church to the canonical status of Major Archiepiscopal Church on February 10, 2005 and the Metropolitan Archbishop Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios was appointed as its first Major Archbishop - Catholicos on the same date. The enthronement of the Major Archbishop Catholicos as the Father and Head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church took place on May 14, 2005. A grand reception was given both to His Eminence Cardinal Ignace Moussa Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and His Beatitude Moran Mar Cyril Baselios Catholicos after his enthronement as Major Archbishop-Catholicos on April 8, 2005 at the Eparchy of Marthandam.

His Beatitude Moran Mar Cyril Baselios Catholicos was called for his eternal reward on January 18, 2007 and His Beatitude Moran Mar Baselios Cleemis was elected as the Major Archbishop - Catholicos of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church by the Holy Synod of the Malankara Catholic Church on February 10, 2007. His Beatitude Moran Mar Baselios Cleemis was accorded a grand reception on October 6, 2007 in the eparchy.