Punnathra Dionysius III

His Grace

Mar Dionysius III

Mar Thoma XI, Malankara Metropolitan
Malankara Church
A Portrait of Mar Dionysius III
(11th Malankara Metropolitan)
Installed19 October 1817
Term ended19 May 1825
Predecessor
SuccessorMar Dionysius IV
Orders
Consecration19 October 1817 by Geevarghese Mar Philexenos II
Personal details
Born1777
Kottayam Thazhathangady
Died19 May 1825
Kottayam
BuriedKottayam Cheriapally (St. Mary's Orthodox Syrian Church, Kottayam)

Mar Dionysius III, also known as Punnathra Mar Dionysius and born Kurien (1785 – 19 May 1825) was 11th Malankara Metropolitan and Successor to the Holy Apostolic Throne of St.Thomas from 1817 until his death. Dionysius had a long career in the Malankara Church prior to his consecration as Metropolitan. It was his suggestion during the time of Mar Thoma IX to establish the Syrian seminary at Kottayam, Kerala's first educational institution. He also welcomed some of the first missionary teachers who arrived from England to teach in the seminary. In 1816, following the demise of Mar Dionysius II, who had not appointed a successor, Kurien was elected to succeed him as the Malankara Metropolitan by the general assembly of the Church (Malankara Palliyogam) and was ordained as bishop by Geevarghese Mar Philexenos II of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church.