Knanaya Region

Knanaya Catholic Region of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago
Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath handing over to the first Knanaya Region director Fr. Abraham Mutholath the decree establishing the Knanaya Region
Location
Country	USA
Territory	United States
Ecclesiastical province	Knanaya Catholic Region
Statistics
Parishes	8 missions
Churches	14
Congregations	4 convents
Information
Denomination	Eastern Catholic
Rite	Syro-Malabar
Established	28 April 2006
Secular priests	18
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Major Archbishop	Mar Raphael Thattil
Bishop	Mar Joy Alappatt
Vicar General	Fr. Thomas Mulavanal
Bishops emeritus	Mar Jacob Angadiath
Website
www.knanayaregion.us www.knanayaregion.org

Knanaya Region is a subdivision of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago. This region was officially established by Mar Jacob Angadiath, the bishop of the diocese on 30 April 2006. On that day, the bishop appointed Fr. Abraham Mutholath, the then Vicar General for Knanaya Community, as the first director of the Knanaya Region.^[1] The purpose of this region is to coordinate all the pastoral activities of the diocese under the leadership of Knanaya Region director who is also one of the Vicar Generals of the diocese.

According to the decree of the Bishop, all Knanaya Catholic parishes, Knanaya missions, and all the Knanaya Catholic faithful who live in the USA outside the proper territory of an established Knanaya Catholic parish or mission will come under this region.^[2] This is a personal jurisdiction style followed in the Syro-Malabar Church in India where the Archbishop of Kottayam has personal jurisdiction over all the Knanaya Catholics within the juridical boundary of the Syro-Malabar Church.

The Knanaya Catholic Region has five forane parishes, 14 parishes, eight missions, and four convents.