Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry

Archeparchy of Changanacherry

Changanacherrensis

ചങ്ങനാശ്ശേരി അതിഭദ്രാസനം
St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral Changanacherry
Location
Country India
TerritoryDistricts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu
Ecclesiastical provinceChanganassery
Statistics
Area24,595 km2 (9,496 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2009)
9,430,000
402,200 (4.3%)
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchSyro-Malabar Church
RiteSyro-Malabar Rite
CathedralSt Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral in Changanassery
Patron saintSaint Joseph
Website
www.archdiocesechanganacherry.org
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Headquarters of the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Changanacherry

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry (Syriac: ܐܦܪܟܝܐ ܪܒܬܐ ܕܫܢܓܢܐܣܐܪܐ, romanizedAfarkaya Rabbta d-Shanganasara; Malayalam: ചങ്ങനാശ്ശേരി അതിഭദ്രാസനം, romanizedChanganassery Athibhadhrasanam) is a Catholic East-Syriac Rite archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in India in terms of area. Joseph Perumthottam is the current Metropolitan Archbishop, serving since 2007. Thomas Tharayil has been the auxiliary bishop since 2017. Suffragan eparchies of the Changanassery archeparchy includes Palai, Kanjirappally-Nilackal, and Thuckalay-Thiruvithancode (Tamil Nadu).

The Changanacherry (originally named Kottayam) jurisdiction was one of the first two Syro-Malabar vicariates, along with Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur, when Pope Leo XIII in 1887 re-organized Syro-Malabar Catholics as a separate church from the Latin Church's jurisdiction ever since the Synod of Diamper in 1599.