Pope Francis has announced the erection of a new Eparchy to serve the growing Syro-Malabar Church throughout Australia.
Thousands of Syro-Malabar Catholics, primarily from the south of India, worship in dioceses across Australia, and a growing number of priests from this tradition are serving in Australian parishes.The first Eparch for the Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle of Melbourneis Reverend BoscoPuthur.
Bishop Puthur has also been named Apostolic Visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful resident in New Zealand.
Bishop Puthur was born in 1946 in Parappur, India. He has a Licentiate in philosophy and studied at the Pontifical College Propaganda Fide in Rome, where he gained a Licentiate and Doctorate. He speaks English, Malayalam and Italian.
Bishop Puthur has served as a Rector and Lecturer at a number of Indian Seminaries as well as directing a Liturgical Research Centre in Kakkanad, Kerala.
He has extensive parish and pastoral experience and has worked as Vicar General of the Archeparchy of Trichur.
Bishop Puthur was consecrated Bishop on 13 February 2010, and has served in the curial office of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, in Kerala, since this time.
Archbishop Denis Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has cordially recognised the establishment of the new Eparchy as a clear indication of the care of the Holy See for the thousands of Syro-Malabar Catholics in Australia.
“I welcome Bishop BoscoPuthur as the first Bishop of the St Thomas Catholics in Australia, and I look forward to working with him as a colleague in Melbourne, while he has care of his brothers and sisters through the whole country.”
Indian Christians in Australia/ The Indian Sun News
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