KNANAYA CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

NOTE: This Chronology list is not final and is in the process of updating. If you notice any important event missing, please let the webmaster know of it.

Before 1911
  • 52 November 19
    St. Thomas the Apostle arrived in Muziris (near Kodungalloor) in Kerala. He established seven churches: Kodungalloor, Palayoor, Paravur (Kottakkavu), Kokkamangalam, Chayal (Nilackel), Niranam and Kollam.
  • 72 July 19
    Martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle at Chinnamala, Mylapore, Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
  • 345
    Arrival of Thomas of Kynai at Kodungalloor with Bishop Uraha Mar Yausef, four priests, several deacons and 72 families consisting of 400 people from the Middle East.
  • 1599 June 20-26
    Synod of Diamper.
  • 1599 November 19
    Francis Rose S.J. nominated first Latin Bishop of Syrians.
  • 1610 December 19
    Archbishop Menezes of Goa restricts the all India jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of St. Thomas Christians from the north of Malabar to the south.
  • 1647 December
    Archbishop Garcia Appoints Fr. Jerome Furtado as Vicar General in place of the traditional Archdeacon.
  • 1653 January 19
    Coonan Cross Oath of the Syrians at Mattancherry, near Kochi against the Portuguese Padroado at the time of Archbishop Garcia S.J.
  • 1653 May 19
    “Episcopal ordination” of Thomas the Archdeacon at Alangad by 12 priests of St. Thomas Christians.
  • 1665 - 1671
    Spread of Jacobite Faith by Mar Gregorios in Malabar.
  • 1887 May 20
    Pope Leo XIII separated the Syrians from the Archdiocese of Verapoly and established two independent Vicariates of Kottayam (including Northists and Suddists) and Thrisur directly under the Holy See. Charles Lavigne was appointed as Vicar Apostolic of Kottayam and Adolf Medlycott as Vicar Apostolic of Thrisur (“Quod Jam Pridem”).
  • 1890 September 19
    Seat of Kottayam Vicariate moved to Changanassery.
  • 1892 June 19
    Establishment of Sisters of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (SVM) at Kaipuzha, Kottayam.
  • 1896 July 19
    Pope Leo XIII established the Vicariates of Ernakulam with territories from both Vicariates of Changanasery and Thrissur. Mar Aloysius Pazheparambil (Ernakulam), Mar Mathew Makkil (Changanassery), and Mar John Menachery (Thrissur) were made the bishops (“Quae Rei Sacrae”).
  • 1896 October 15
    Episcopal Consecration of Mar Mathew Makil along with Mar Aloysious Pazheparambil and Mar John Menachery at Kandy in Sri Lanka.
  • 1600 August 19
    Extension of the Rule of Padroado on Syrians.
From 1911
  • 1911 August 29
    Pope Pius X reestablished Kottayam Vicariate for the Knanaya (Suddists) Community of the Syrians (Pro Gente Sudhistica) who were belonging to Changanassery and Ernakulam vicariates (“In Universi Christiani”) and appointed Mar Mathew Makil as its first bishop.
  • 1913 July 11
    Death of Bishop Charles Lavigne in France. He was bishop of Kottayam / Changanssery from 1887 to 1896.
  • 1914 January 26
    Death of Mar Mathew Makil at Kottayam.
  • 1914 July 16
    Pope Pius X appointed Alexander Choolaparambil as the Vicar Apostolic of Kottayam.
  • 1914 November 1
    Episcopal consecration of the Bishop Mar Alexander Choolaparambil in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
  • 1921 January 19
    Foundation of Eparchial Society of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart (OSH).
  • 1921 July 5
    Holy See allowed to use the Malankara liturgical rite for those who were reunited with the Catholic Church by the intervention of Mar Alexander Choolaparambil.
  • 1923 December 21
    Pope Pius XI elevated Kottayam vicariate as a diocese (“Romani Pondifices”) and made Mar Alexander Choolaparambil as its bishop.
  • 1928 July 19
    Foundation of Sisters of St Joseph Congregation (SJC) at Kottayam.
  • 1932 June 19
    Establishment of Syro-Malankara hierarchy.
  • 1945 June 9
    Pope Pius XII appointed Mar Thomas Tharayil as co-adjutor bishop of Kottayam.
  • 1945 October 7
    Episcopal Consecration of Mar Thomas Tharayil at Christ the King Cathedral by Mar Alexander Choolaparambil.
  • 1945 October 19
    Episcopal Consecration of Mar Thomas Tharayil at Christ the King Cathedral by Mar Alexander Choolaparambil.
  • 1950 July 19
    Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Pala and appointed Mar Sebastian Vayalil as its first bishop.
  • 1951 January 8
    Death of Mar Alexander Choolaparambil at the Bishop’s House in Kottayam. Coadjutor Bishop Mar Thomas Tharayil took charge as bishop of Kottayam.
  • 1955 April 19
    The personal jurisdiction of the bishop of Kottayam was extended to the juridical territory of the Syro-Malabar church by a Decree of the Oriental Congregation 1812/48 as per the direction of People Pius XII.
  • 1956 July 26/29
    Pope Pius XII elevated the Diocese of Changanasery and archdiocese and make Kottayam and Pala at its suffragan dioceses (“Regnum Caelorum”).
  • 1967 December 9
    Pope Paul VI appointed Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry as the Co-adjutor bishop of Kottayam.
  • 1968 February 24
    Episcopal Consecration of Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry at Sacred Heart Mount, Kottayam by the Prefect of the Oriental Congregation.
  • 1974 May 5
    Mar Thomas Tharayil retired. Co-adjutor Bishop Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry took charge as the bishop of Kottayam.
  • 1975 July 26
    Death of Mar Thomas Tharayil at the Chaplain’s quarters of Caritas Hospital.
  • 1977 March 19
    Appointment of Mar Abraham Viruthakulangara as bishop of the New Diocese of Khandwa in Bhopal.
  • 1977 July 19
    Episcopal consecration of Mar Abraham Viruthakulangara.
  • 1978 September 19
    Mar Antony Padiyara was appointed as Apostolic Visitor of Non-resident Keralite Syro-Malabarians by Pope John Paul I.
  • 1986 February 19
    Pope John Paul II had lunch and rest at Bishop’s house at Kottayam after the beatification ceremony of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Blessed Alphonsa.
  • 1998 January 19
    Appointment of Mar Abraham Viruthakulangara as Archbishop of Nagpur.
  • 1998 April 19
    Mar Abraham Viruthakulangara took charge as Archbishop of Nagpur.
  • 1998 December 28
    Pope John Paul II appointed Mar Mathew Moolakkatt as the Auxiliary bishop of Kottayam.
  • 1999 January 6
    Episcopal Consecration of Mar Mathew Moolakkatt at Vatican by Pope John Paul II.
  • 2001 March 19
    Eparchy of St. Thomas of Chicago, USA. Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath was appointed as its first bishop and the Apostolic Visitor to Canada. All the Knanaya Catholics and their missions in the USA came under this diocese.
  • 2001 July 1
    Episcopal Consecration of Mar Jacob Angadiath in Chicago and the inauguration of the diocese.
  • 2003-August-15
    Appointment of Mar Mathew Moolakkatt as the Co-adjutor of the Diocese of Kottayam.
  • 2003 December 23
    Pope John Paul II made a sovereign decision that the status quo (pro gente suddistica) of the Eparchy of Kottayam be maintained.
  • 2005 May 19
    Eparchy of Kottayam made Archieparchy and Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry was elevated as the Archbishop of Kottayam by Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil.
  • 2005 June 19
    Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry’s official elevation as the Archbishop of Kottayam by Mar Varkey Vithayathil.
  • 2005 December 7
    Mar George Palliparambil from Mrala parish was appointed as the bishop of Miao in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • 2005 December 19
    Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry retired and Mar Mathew Moolakkatt took charge as the Archbishop of Kottayam.
  • 2006 January 14
    Mar Mathew Moolakkatt took charge as the Archbishop of Kottayam.
  • 2006 February 26
    Episcopal consecration of Mar George Palliparambil who took charge as the bishop of the new diocese of Miao.
  • 2006 September 19
    Appointment of Mar Joseph Pandarasseril as the auxiliary bishop of Kottayam Archdiocese.
  • 2006 October 28
    Episcopal consecration of Mar Joseph Pandarasseril by Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry.
  • 2011 September 8
    Episcopal consecration of Mar James Thoppil from Arunoottimangalam parish. He took charge as the bishop of Kohima, Nagaland.
  • 2013 December 19
    Appointment of Mar Simon Kaipuram from Kannamkara parish as bishop of Balasore.
  • 2014 January 19
    Announcement of the erection of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of St. Thomas, the Apostle, Melbourne, Australia and the appointment of Bishop Bosco Puthur as its first bishop and the Apostolic Visitor to New Zealand. Announcement of the appointment of Bishop Raphael Thattil Apostolic Visitor to the Syro-Malabar faithful in the territories outside the Syro-Malabar eparchies in India.
  • 2014 January 19
    Episcopal consecration of Mar Simon Kaipuram, C.M.
  • 2014 January 19
    Appointment of Mar Bosco Puthur as Bishop of Syro - Malabar Eparchy of Melbourne, Australia.
  • 2014 February 19
    Commissioning of the Apostolic Visitor Mar Raphael Thattil at Mount St. Thomas.
  • 2014 March 19
    Installation of Mar Bosco Puthur as Bishop of Syro - Malabar Eparchy of Melbourne.
  • 2014 June 19
    Announcement of Fr. Joy Alappat as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago.
  • 2014 September 19
    Episcopal Ordination of Mar Joy Alapatt in Chicago
  • 2015 September 19
    Episcopal ordination of Mar Jose Kalluvelil as the Apostolic exarch of Canada with See at Mississauga.
  • 2016 May 3
    Appointment of Mar Kurian Mathew Vayalumkal from Neendoor parish as the Apostolic nuncio to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
  • 2016 July 19
    Fr. Joseph Srampickal is appointed as the bishop of Preston in Great Britain and Fr. Stephen Chirappanath as the Apostolic Visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful in Europe.
  • 2016 July 25
    Episcopal consecration of nuncio for Vatican Mar Mathew (Biju) Vayalumkal at Christ the King Cathedral.
  • 2016 October 19
    Episcopal consecration of Mar Joseph Srampickal.
  • 2016 October 19
    Appointment of Mar Thomas Thennatt from Koodalloor parish as bishop of Gwalior.
  • 2016 November 19
    Episcopal consecration of Mar Stephen Chirappanath.
  • 2017 January 19
    Consecration of Bishop Thomas Thennatt as bishop of Gwalior, Bhopal.
  • 2017 June 19
    Death of Archbishop Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry.
  • 2017 October 19
    Syro-Malabar church received the right for evangelization and pastoral service all over India.
  • 2018 April 19
    Death of Mar Abraham Viruthakulangara, Archbishop of Nagpur.
  • 2018 December 19
    Death of Mar Thomas Thenatt, bishop of Gwalior, Bhopal.
  • 2019 April 19
    Death of Mar Simon Kaipuram, Bishop of Balasore.
  • 2020 August 29
    Announcement of Fr. George Kurisummoottil as the Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam.
  • 2020 November 7
    Ramban ordination of Bishop elect Fr. George Kurisummoottil in preparation for his consecration as Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam. Major Archbishop of Syro-Malankara Church Moran Mor Baselius Clemius officiated the service at St. Theresa's Knanaya Catholic Church, Ranni.
  • 2020 November 14
    Consecration of Auxiliary Bishop Gevarghese Mar Aprem at Christ the King Cathedral by Archbishop of Thiruvalla Thomas Mar Curilos, Mar Mathew Moolakkatt and Mar Joseph Pandarasseril.

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