Bishops

Mar Mathew Moolakkatt, O.S.B.

Metropolitan Archbishop of Kottayam

He was born on February 27,1953 at Uzhavoor in Kottayam District. He was ordained priest on the 27th December, 1978. He has B.Sc., B. Ed., M.A. in Sociology and doctorate in Canon Law. In 1994 he joined the Vallombrosan Benedictine Monastery and made the Final Profession on December 5, 1998. On December 28, 1998 he was nominated Bishop of Holler and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam. He received the Episcopal Ordination on 6th January, 1999 from His Holiness Pope John Paul II. Later on August 15, 2003 H. H. Pope John Paul II appointed Mar Mathew Moolakatt as Co-adjutor Bishop of the Eparchy of Kottayam. He took over as the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Kottayam on January 14, 2006.

He is the member of Permanent Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church; Supreme Moderator of Major Archiepiscopal Tribunal; Chairman of the Synodal Commission for the St.Thomas Apostolic Regional Major Seminary, Vadavathoor, He is member of CBCI Commission for Youth, Chairman of the K.C.B.C Commission for Dialogue, and member of the CBCI Standing Committee and member of the Pontifical Council for dialogue with the Orthodox Syrian and Syrian Orthodox churches.

Mar Joseph Pandarasseril

Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam

He was born on April 18, 1961 at Ettumanoor, Kottayam. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Mangalore and was ordained a priest on December 28, 1987. He studied Canon Law at Santa Croce University in Rome and took Licentiate Degree in 1995.

Mar Pandarasseril has a wide parish and administrative experience. He served Chakkupallam, Kattappana, Karimkunnam and Edacat parishes. He was also the Rector of the Diocesan Minor Seminary from 1996-99. He served as Additional Chancellor, Eparchial Judge, Eparchial Consulter, Secretary to the Corporate Educational Agency and Syncellus of the Malabar Region. Syro Malabar Synod has chosen him as the Auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Kottayam and the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI assigned him the titular Episcopal See of “Castello di Ripa” on September 21, 2006. He was consecrated bishop on October 28, 2006 at Christ the King Cathedral, Kottayam by Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry, assisted by Major Archbishop Baselios Mar Cleemis and Mar Mathew Moolakkatt. He is the Member, Synodal Commission for Catechism, Chairman of the K.C.B.C. Commission for Youth.

Geevarghese Mar Aprem

Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam

Fr. George Kurisummoottil was born on 9.8.1961 at Kattode, Thiruvalla, in the Archeparchy of Kottayam. He studied in St. Stanislaus Minor Seminary, Kottayam (1977-80) and St. Joseph’s Interdiocesan Seminary, Mangalore (1980-87). He was ordained priest on 27.12.1987 for the Archdiocese of Kottayam. He served in the following ministries: Vice-Rector, Minor Seminary, Kottayam (1988); Vicar of Thurithicad and Eraviperoor Parishes (1988-1991); Vicar of Ranny Parish (1991-1993); Vicar of Kattode and Thengely Parishes (1993-1994); Vice-Rector, Gurukulam Study House, Bangalore (1994-1997); Vicar of Thurithicad and Eraviperoor Parishes (1997-2000). From 2000 to 2004, he did his Master in Iconography at Holy Spirit Maronite University, Lebanon. He returned to the Eparchy and was Vicar of Chingavanam Parish (2005-2009); Vicar of Kuttoor, Othara and Thengely Parishes (2009-2014) and at the same time Director of Hadusa, Christian Performing Art Commission. Since 2014 he is the Vicar of Ranny and Aythala Parishes, and since 2019 Syncellus of Syro-Malankara Community in Kottayam.