Bangalore 25 August 2022 (CCBI): The Synod of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, gathered at Mount St. Thomas, Kerala, having received prior Papal Assent according to CCEO can. 184, canonically elected Fr Alex Tharamangalam (64), of the clergy of the Archieparchy of Tellicherry as Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Mananthavady; Fr Joseph Kollamparambil (67), of the clergy of the Palai Eparchy and Fr. Thomas Padiyath (53), of the clergy of the Archieparchy of Changanacherry, as the Auxiliary Bishops of the Shamshabad Eparchy. This provision was made public on 25 August, 2022.
Fr. Alex Tharamangalam
Fr. Alex Tharamangalam was born on April 20, 1958 in Moozhoor, Kerala. After studying at Nirmalagiri College in Kuthuparamba, he entered St. Joseph Minor Seminary in Tellicherry in 1973. He completed the Philosophy and Theology courses at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary in Vadavathoor and was ordained a priest for the Archieparchy of Tellicherry on 1 January 1983. He received a Doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
In addition to the pastoral ministry exercised in various parishes of the Archieparchy, he was the Secretary to the Bishop. He was Professor of Philosophy at the Paurastya Vidyapitam Institute in Kottayam and taught in the Seminaries of Aluva, Trivandrum and Vadavathoor; he was also held the positions of Vice Rector and Rector of Vadavathoor Seminary. He has been Syncellus of the Tellicherry Archieparchy since 2016 and in 2022. He speaks Malayalam, English, Italian and German.
Fr. Joseph Kollamparambil
Fr. Joseph Kollamparambil was born on 22 September 1955 in Chennad. He entered the Good Shepherd Minor Seminary in Palai and completed his priestly formation at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary in Vadavathoor. He holds his Master of Arts degree from St. Thomas College in Palai and his Doctorate in Political Science from Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam. Ordained a priest on 18 December 1981, he was the parish priests in Kudakkachira, Nellappara and Vellikulam. He has also held the positions of Director of the Pastoral Institute, Lecturer and Bursar of St. Thomas College, Director of the Christ Raj Hostel and of the St. Thomas College of Teacher Education. From 2003 to 2011, he was Dean of St. George College, Aruvithura. He also held the posts of Eparchial Consultor, member of the Council for Economic Affairs and Sincellus of the Eparchy of Palai. Since 2019, he is the Syncellus of the Eparchy of Shamshabad for the Mission in Gujarat. He speaks English and Malayalam.
Fr. Thomas Padiyath
Fr. Thomas Padiyath was born on 14 January 1969 in Ettumanoor. After his university studies in Changanacherry, he began his priestly formation at St. Thomas Minor Seminary in Kurichy, he did his Philosophy and Theology studies at St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary in Aluva. Ordained a priest on 29 December 1994, he was sent for higher studies in Belgium, where he obtained a doctorate in philosophy and a licentiate in theology from the Catholic University of Louvain.
Returning to India, he held the following ministries: Assistant Parish Priest, Secretary of the Archbishop, Professor at Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kunnoth, Kristu Jyothi Seminary and Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram in Bangalore, Mater Dei Institute in Goa, Paurastya Vidyapitham in Vadavathoor, the St. Charles Seminary in Namibia and the CANA Institute in Thuruthy. It is currently one of the Sincellus of the Changanacherry Archieparchy. He speaks Malayalam, English and German.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara
Deputy Secretary General, CCBI