Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain

Eparchy of Great Britain in Preston (Syro-Malabar)
Location
Country  Great Britain
Territory England and Wales & Scotland
Statistics
Area 229,848 km2 (88,745 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		 (as of 2013)
60,003,000
38,000
Information
Sui iuris church Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Rite East Syriac Rite
Established 28 July 2016
Cathedral Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St. Alphonsa in Preston
Secular priests 23
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Major Archbishop Metropolitan and Gate of all India Mar George Cardinal Alencherry
Eparch Mar Joseph Srampickal[1]
Website
http://www.eparchyofgreatbritain.org/home/index

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain is the sole eparchy (Eastern Catholic diocese) for Syro-Malabar Catholics (a Chaldean or Syro-Oriental Rite) in Great Britain, with see in Preston, Lancashire.[2]

Flag of Syro Malabar Church

Status

This eparchy is not part of any ecclesiastical province and is immediately subject to the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam–Angamaly and the Roman Congregation for the Oriental Churches. It has jurisdiction over Syro-Malabar Catholics in the entirety of Great Britain : England, Scotland and Wales (the United Kingdom minus Northern Ireland).

The eparchy, established in 2016, is the fourth diocesan jurisdiction (after the USA and Australia eparchies and the Apostolic Exarchate in Canada) of the Syro-Malabar Church outside India (which per 2017 has the Major Archdiocese, four more Metropolitan archeparchies and 23 suffragan eparchies). Syro Malabar Catholic Church also have a Apostolic Visitor for Europe based in Rome, Bishop Mar Stephen Chirapanath who oversee and liaison the pastoral missions and mass centres in other parts of Europe including Northern Ireland.

Location and structure

Its episcopal see is the Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St. Alphonsa at Preston in Lancashire, England. It has chaplains (mostly Indian) in 22 British Roman Catholic dioceses, a national coordination council and eight diocesan departments : Liturgy, Finance, Catechism, Faith Formation, Lay Association, Resolution Committee and Youth Association. Its first and present Eparch (diocesan bishop) is Bishop Joseph Srampickal (Benny Mathew), born on 1967.05.30 in India, ordained priest 2000.08.12, consecrated bishop 2016.10.09. [3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kerala's Syro-Malabar Catholics get new diocese in UK", The News Minute, July 29, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Pope Francis erects Eparchy for the Syro-Malabar community in Great Britain", The Catholic Church in England and Wales, July 28, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Great Britain’s first Indian Syrian Catholic Bishop ordained in front of 12,000-strong crowd at Preston", British South Indians, October 9, 2016.
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