Mar Joseph Perumthottam (born 5 July 1948) is a prelate of the

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church lat, Ecclesia Syrorum-Malabarensium mal, മലബാറിലെ സുറിയാനി സഭ , native_name_lang=, image = St. Thomas' Cross (Chennai, St. Thomas Mount).jpg , caption = The Mar Thoma Nasrani Sl ...

. Since 2007 he as served as the Archbishop of Changanassery.

Education

He was educated in St. Joseph's High School in Punnathura and St. Berchmans' College in

Changanassery Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...

. He completed his seminary studies at St. Thomas Petit Seminary,

and St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor,

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south-we ...

. On 18 December 1974 he was ordained priest by Archbishop Mar

Joseph Powathil Joseph Powathil (born 14 August 1929) is an Indian prelate of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. He is the Archbishop Emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery. Early life Powathil was born in the hamlet of Kurumbanadom, ...

, then auxiliary

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Changanacherry Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...

. After his ministry as assistant parish priest for a few years he was appointed in 1979 as Director of Sandesanilayam, the Catechetical Centre of the Archdiocese and Chaplain of Catholic Workers' Movement of the Archdiocese. In the Catechetical field, he introduced many training programmes, including Catechetical Leaders' Training (CLT), which is being continued to this day by Sandesanilayam. In 1983 he was sent for higher studies, at Gregorian University Rome where he took doctorate in Church History. Back from Rome, in 1989 he was appointed professor of St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavathoor and Missionary Orientation Centre, Manganam,

and vicar of St. Sebastian's Church, Kodinattumkunnu. During this period he was instrumental in starting Marthoma Vidyanikethan at Changanacherry, the higher institute of religious sciences for the laity at the initiative and active support of Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil. This institute is a unique venture affiliated to Paurastya Vidyapitam, Vadavthoor, conferring P.G. degree recognized by the Congregation for Catholic Education, Rome and Joseph Perumthottam has been at its helm for the last one decade. Simultaneously he has been vicar of Mar Sleeba Church, Ponga. He was nominated auxiliary bishop on 24 April 2002 and was consecrated by Archbishop Mar

at St. Mary's Metropolitan Church,

, on 20 May 2002, the 116th anniversary of the Archdiocese. Bishop Perumthottam was appointed

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

on 22 January 2007 and he assumed charge on 19 March 2007.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Perumthottam, Joseph 1948 births Living people 21st-century Eastern Catholic archbishops Archbishops of Changanassery People from Kottayam district