The Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Idukki is a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

eparchy ( Eastern Catholic diocese) in southern India, in the proper ecclesiastical province of the Major Archdiocese of Eranakulam-Angamaly, which heads the entire

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 ...

(which follows a Chaldean =

Syro-Oriental Rite The East Syriac Rite or East Syrian Rite, also called the Edessan Rite, Assyrian Rite, Persian Rite, Chaldean Rite, Nestorian Rite, Babylonian Rite or Syro-Oriental Rite, is an Eastern Christian liturgical rite that employs the Divine Liturgy ...

), hence dependent on the

Roman Congregation for the Oriental Churches The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches (also called Dicastery for the Oriental Churches), previously named Congregation for the Oriental Churches or Congregation for the Eastern Churches ( la, Congregatio pro Ecclesiis Orientalibus), is a dicaste ...

. Its cathedral episcopal see is Saint George's Cathedral Vazhathoppe, in

Idukki township Idukki is a township in Idukki district near to the district headquarter Painavu in the state of Kerala, southern India. The township consists of the towns of Cheruthoni, Painavu (district capital), Thadiyampadu, Idukki proper and Vazhathope. ...

, in Kerala state.

History

The creation of the diocese on 2003.01.15, as the twenty-sixth eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, on territory split off from the Diocese of Kothamangalam is contained in an Apostolic Constitution ''Maturescens catholica fideis'' put forth by Pope John Paul II in December 2002. It started with 114 parishes and mission stations.

Statistics

As per 2015, it pastorally served 266,600 Catholics (34.0% of 785,000 total; there are also Latin Catholics and Syro-Malankara Catholics in this region, belonging to the Diocese of Vijayapuram viz. Thiruvalla, and Christians of Jacobite and Orthodox Churches besides various Protestant denominations) on 3,000 km² in 155 parishes with 573 priests (238 diocesan, 335 religious), 1,306 lay religious (350 brothers, 956 sisters) and 86 seminarians.

Episcopal Ordinaries

(all native Indians) ; Suffragan Eparchs (Bishops) of Idukki * First Bishop Avoon Mar Mathew Anikuzhikattil (2003.01.15 – retired 2018.01.12), originated from the diocese of Kothamangalam * Present Avoon Mar John Nellikunnel (2018.01.12 – ...).

Sources and external links

GCatholic, with Google HQ satellite picture - data for all sections

official diocesan website, with map, diocesan chronicle etc.

Eastern Catholic dioceses in India Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly Syro-Malabar Catholic dioceses Christian organizations established in 2002 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 21st century 2002 establishments in Kerala {{EasternCatholic-diocese-stub