Pope Francis creates Syro-Malabar Diocese in Australia with Bishop Puthur

Vatican City, 11 January 2014: Pope Francis has erected on Saturday the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle in Melbourne, Australia. The Holy Father has appointed the first Bishop of the diocese in the person of Bishop Bosco Puthur. He is currently the titular bishop of Foraziana, and Curial Bishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

The Holy Father has also appointed Bishop Bosco Puthur to be the Apostolic Visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful residing in New Zealand. The Bishop will have his residence in Melbourne, 201 Lady Nelson Way, Taylors Lake, VIC 3038, where the new cathedral is dedicated to "Holy Mary, Mother of God”.

The new Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Melbourne extends over the entire continent of Australia. An estimated number of 30, 000 faithful are living in almost twenty dioceses, but most of them are concentrated in Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Parramatta and Wollongong. Currently the coordination of pastoral care of these faithful is entrusted to Fr. Francis Kolencherry of the Vincentian Congregation. He is assisted by secular and religious priests. The latter belongs to the following institutes: Little Flower Congregation, Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Vincentian Congregation, Missionary Society of St. Thomas the Apostle and the Discalced Carmelites.

Bishop Bosco Puthur was born on 28 May 1946 at Parappur in Trichur, Kerala. He studied at the Aluva Carmelgiri Philosophate, earning a Licentiate in Philosophy, and at the Pontifical College of Propaganda Fide in Rome, obtaining a Licentiate and Doctorate. He speaks English, Malayalam and Italian.

After his priestly ordination on 27 March 1971, he held the following positions.
Assistant to the Vicar Ollur
Prefect of the Minor Seminary
Professor at St. Joseph's Seminary, Aluva
Rector of the Minor Seminary
Vicar of the Cathedral
Executive Director of the Liturgical research Centre in Mt St Thomas in Kakkanad
Rector of the Seminary of Mangalapuzha
He was appointed to the titular see of Foraziana with the position of Bishop of the Major Archiepiscopal and was ordained on 13 February 2010.
Source: VR Sedoc