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