BISHOP
His Excellency Most Rev. Vincent Mar Paulos
Heavenly Patrons: St. Paul and St. Therese of Lissieux
Bishop’s House, Marthandam,
Kanyakumari Dist., 629 165
Tel. 04651 270180, E-mail: bpmardio@gmail.com
SHORT HISTORY
St. Thomas, one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ had come to India in 52 A.D. Out of the churches established by St. Thomas, the Civil District of Kanyakumari is privileged to having the ARAPPALLY atThiruvithancode. Though there was a Christian community in Kanyakumari right from the beginning of the 1st century, it could not prevail to be a sizeable Christian community. In the 16 century, the Portuguese Missionaries arrived in the Civil District of Kanyakumari and as the result of their missionary works, 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 20 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 11 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 Tiruvalla. 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 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 16 December 1996, bifurcated the Metropolitan Eparchy and erected the Eparchy of Marthandam having its head quarters at Marthandam, and appointed Most Rev. Lawrance Mar Ephraem as its first Bishop. 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 23 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 16 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, 29 June 1998 and was enthroned as the Bishop of Marthandam on 1st July 1998.
On the same day His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis transferred His Excellency Most Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom from the Eparchy of Marthandom and appointed him the first Bishop of the new Eparchy of Pathanamathitta on 25 January 2010.
Having been elected by the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, with the assent of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, on the same day, His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos appointed Rev. Dr. Vincent Kulapuravilai, as the third Bishop of Marthandom. His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis ordained him a bishop with the name Vincent Mar Paulose at Mar Ivanios Nagar (Stadium) Nalanchira, Trivandrum on 13 March 2010.
His Excellency Most Rev. Dr.Vincent Mar Paulose was installed as the third Bishop of the Eparchy of Marthandom by His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos on 14 March 2010 at Christu Raja Cathedral, Marthandam.
