Eparchy of Marthandam

Heavenly Patrons: St. Paul and St. Therese of Lissieux.

Short History.

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. Out of the seven and a half churches established by St. Thomas, the Civil District of Kanyakumari is having the privilege of having the half church at Thiruvithancode. Though there was a Christian community in Kanyakumari right from the beginning of the 1st century, it could not 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 there began to grow. Later during the British regime in India, the Protestant missionaries also started their work 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 people (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 Congregations many parishes and missions of the Malankara Church could be 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 Matropolitan 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 Marthandam having its head quarters at Marthandam. Thus the fourth Diocese of the Malankara Catholic Church came into existence and His Excellency Most Rev. Lawrence Mar Ephraem took charge as its first Bishop. The enthronment of His Excellency Most.Rev. Lawrence Mar Ephraem as the Bishop of Marthandam took place on 23rd January 1997 at the Christuraja Cathedral, Marthandam. His Grace Most Rev. Cyril Mar Basalios, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum officiated the liturgical ceremony, and executed the Papal Bull of the erection of the new Eparchy of Marthandam.

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 Marthandam. His Excellency was consecrated as Bishop on, 29th June 1998 and was enthroned as the Bishop of Marthandam on 1st July 1998.

Area : 1665 Sq. Kms
Population : 20,669,924
Malankara Catholics : 63,750
Languaages : Tamil, English, Malayalam