Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kalyan

Eparchy of Kalyan
कल्याण के सूबा
Location
Country India
Ecclesiastical province Bombay
Metropolitan Bombay, Pune and Nasik
Statistics
Population
- Catholics		 (as of 2013)
1,00,000
Parishes 106
Information
Denomination Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Rite East Syrian Rite
Established 30 April 1988
Cathedral Cathedral of St Thomas in Kalyan
Patron saint St. Thomas Apostle
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Major Archbishop Mar George Alencherry
Bishop Mar Mar Thomas Elavanal
Metropolitan Archbishop Cardinal Oswald Gracias
Website

Website of the Diocese

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The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kalyan is an Eastern Catholic eparchy in India within the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, based in Kalyan, India. The eparchy is formed to cater the spiritual needs of Syro Malabar Christians based in the Indian State of Maharashtra to include the metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Pune and Nasik. Its first bishop was Mar Paul Chittilapilly; the current bishop is Mar Thomas Elavanal. In 2013, the eparchy has celebrated its silver jubliee.

Migration of the Syro-Malabar Catholics to Mumbai and other major cities of Maharashtra like Pune, Nasik, etc. and other parts of our country, started in nineteen fifties and sixties after Indian Independence, seeking employment and better prospects of life. Hundreds of thousands of Christians of the Syro-Malabar Church who thus migrated were in a totally alien atmosphere with regard to their religious and spiritual life. They depended on the local Latin Church for their spiritual needs in the absence of Syro-Malabar jurisdiction. The priests of the Latin Dioceses were taking care of their spiritual needs. Yet they preferred to preserve their ecclesial traditions and heritage intact and to transmit them to their children. A formation in keeping with the spiritual, liturgical and ecclesial traditions of the Mother Church was obviously lacking. In order to preserve their faith and cultural heritage intact, the Syro-Malabar Catholics organized several spiritual exercises like the Lenten retreats and confessions, prayer meetings, Holy Mass Celebrations, etc.

In the light of the teachings of the II Vatican council, the problems related to the migration as well as the theology and ecclesiology of individual Churches were taken for discussions in CBCI meetings especially by Mar Joseph Powathil. Articles and memorandum prepared and published by Fr. Placid Podippara, Msgr. Mathew Vellanickal, Fr. Xavier Koodapuzha have caused warmth for discussions. In fact an all India seminar "The Church in India Today" paved the way to seriously discuss on this matter. The conclusions, suggestions, recommendations of the seminar were adopted by the CBCI and Committee for Rites was formed to deepen the matter.It was Pope John Paul I, who appointed an Apostolic Visitor, Mar Antony Padiyara, on 8 September 1978 to study the situation of the migrant Syro-Malabar Catholics. Fr. Xavier Koodapuzha was the secretary of the Apostolic Visitor. On 3 February 1979 to study the life situation and problems of Syro-Malabar Catholics Mar Antony Padiyara reached Mumbai and Kerala Catholic Association gave him all the necessary helps to study the situations especially the problems of Nurses. Eighteen meetings were held in different parts of Mumbai from 4 February 1979 to 18 February 1979.

A report was submitted in 1980. The matter was discussed in the CBCI from 1982 to 1985. At last, in the Synod held at Rome in 1985, the Bishops from the Oriental Churches spoke strongly on the rights of the Oriental Churches in India. On 1 Feb. 1986 when Pope John Paul II addressed the Bishops of India in Delhi, he assured them of an earlier settlement of the problem and elicited the co-operation of all concerned. This was followed by the appointment of a high level Pontifical Commission. On the basis of this Commission’s report, came the all-important letter of Pope John Paul II to the Bishops of India on 28 May 1987.

Churches / Parishes under the Eparchy

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