Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas Installed as the Bishop of Bathery

NEW DELHI, Apr. 13, 2010, 17:10 Hrs (CBCI News):

Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas the apostolic visitator to North America and the auxiliary bishop of Trivandrum Malankara Major Archdiocese was installed as the third bishop of Eparchy of Bathery belongs to the Syro-Malankara sui iuris Church. The installation liturgical ceremonies were conducted on Tuesday 13th April 2010 at St. Thomas Metropolitan Church, Bathery.

His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Mar Cleemis Catholicos the head of the Syro Malankara Church officiated the liturgical ceremonies. Bishops from Latin, Syro Malabar and Syro Malankara Churches were participated the ceremonies. Thousands of faithful along with their priests and civil dignitaries witnessed and took part in the celestial liturgical ceremonies. Later in a public meeting the Bathery diocese formally gave a solemn farewell to Bishop Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, who was transferred to the newly erected diocese, Puthur in Karnataka.

Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas, the veteran educationalist and economist was born in the small village of Vadaserikkara, presently in the district of Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India on 20th April 1952 to Late Mr. K.C. Thomas and Sosamma Thomas. He was ordained as Priest by His Grace Dr. Benedict Mar Gregorios the late Archbishop of Trivandrum, on 23rd December 1978. On 5th of Jan 2005 he was appointed as the auxiliary bishop of Trivandrum and apostolic visitator to North America and Europe by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. He was consecrated as bishop on 19th of February 2005 at St. Mary’s Cathedral Church, Trivandrum. He is the Chairman of the Synodal commission for pastoral care of the faithful outside India.