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Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Melbourne

Sancti Thomae Apostoli Melburnen(sis) Syro-Malabarensium

Syro-Malabar eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle covering Australia (with missions in New Zealand and Oceania), established 23 December 2013 as the second Syro-Malabar eparchy outside India. Its seat is the Cathedral of St. Alphonsa in Melbourne, consecrated 23 November 2024 by Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil. Bishop John Panamthottathil, C.M.I. has led the eparchy since 14 January 2023, succeeding Bishop Bosco Puthur.

The see

Rank
Eparchy immediately subject to the Holy See
Tradition
Syro-Malabar Church
Erected
23 December 2013
Latin
Sancti Thomae Apostoli Melburnen(sis) Syro-Malabarensium
Patron
Saint Thomas
Annuario code
001002839

The see in figures

Catholics
51,960
Priests
32
Catholics per priest
1,624
Extent
7,692,024 km²
Catholics per km²
0.0

Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.

The bishop

Eparch
John Panamthottathil, C.M.I.
Born
31 May 1966
Birthplace
Peravoor
Institute
CARMELITANI DELLA B. V. MARIA IMMACOLATA (C.M.I.)

A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.

The cathedral

St. Alphonsa Cathedral, Melbourne stands in Melbourne, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.

On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.

History

For Syro-Malabar Catholics across the whole of Australia there is the St. Thomas the Apostle Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Melbourne, erected by Pope Francis on 11 January 2014. It was only the second eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Church established outside India, following the Eparchy of Chicago.

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Sources

The see's own website · Wikipedia

Compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. Corrections: hello@catholicintelligence.com.