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Mor Ignatius Seminary, Mount Sinai, Kothamangalam |
Mor Ignatius Seminary at Mount Sinai, Kothamangalam is the headquarters of the Angamali diocese, the largest of the Syrian Orthodox dioceses in India and the residence of its Metropolitan. Since the enthronement of the diocesan Metropolitan as the Catholicose in July 2002, the centre functions as the Catholicate office as well.
The three acres of land where the Seminary and the adjacent Mor Baselios Cathedral is situated, was bought by the Kothamangalam MarThoma church (Cheriapally) and the Mar Athanasius College Association jointly on the occasion of the sixtieth birthday of the diocesan Metropolitan Mor Dionysius Thomas (now H.B Baselios Thomas I, Catholicos). For almost two and half decades the diocesan bishop's residence and office was at the church building of the Kothamangalam MorthMariam Valiya Pally. When the first phase of the Mor Ignatius Seminary at Mount Sinai was completed in January 1998, the Metropolitan's residence and the diocesan headquarters was shifted to the new centre.
H.B. CATHOLICOS ABOON MOR BASELIOS THOMAS I |
Angamali Diocesan Metropolitan & the Metropolitan Trustee |
Angamali Diocese
Angamali is the largest and the most important of all the dioceses in India, both on account of the number of faithful and its historical importance. From the advent of Christianity in Kerala, or atleast from the 4th century, Angamali was the headquarters of the undivided Malankara Edavaka (Archdiocese) in the Syrian Christian Church. Majority of those who led the Malankara Syrian Christian community were from Angamali. The special importance of the Angamali continued even after the formation of seven dioceses in Malankara; being still considered as first among the new dioceses. Ambattu Mor Koorilose was the first Metropolitan of the diocese followed by the late Metropolitans Kadavil Paulose Mor Athanasius, Painadathu Kuttikattil Paulose Mor Athanasius (Malankara Metropolitan, 1918-'53), Vayaliparambil Geevarghese Mor Gregorios and Philipose Mor Theophilos. In 1974 Thomas Mor Dionysius was ordained as the sixth Metropolitan of the diocese. On 26 July 2002 His Beatitude was enthroned as the chief of the Jacobite Syrian Church of India.
As per the diocesan directory published in 2003, the Angamali diocese have 135 independent churches, 25 autonomous chapels and 98 small chapels in the diocese. 213 priests and 33 deacons serves this diocese. There are approximately half a million church members in the diocese. Many of the famous and big churches of Malankara like the Kothamangalam Marthoma Cheriapally & Valiyapally, Vadakken Paravur St.Thomas, Angamaly St.Mary's, Pallikara MorthMariam, Kuruppumpady St.Mary's, Akaparambu Mor Safor Afroth, Cheruthottukunnel St.George, Vengoor Mor Kauma, Perumbavur Bethel Suloko, belongs to this diocese. The area comprising of the present Angamali diocese is one of the most thickly populated Christian belt of Kerala where a vast majority of the faithful belongs to either the Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite) Church under the Patriarch of Antioch or the Roman Catholic Church under the Pope.
Source:
Directory of the Angamali diocese, 2003
Mount Sinai Mor Baselios (Aramana) Cathedral
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Clergy of the Angamali diocese with the Diocesan Metropolitan His Beatitude the Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I |
This is not an official site of the Catholicate Head Quarters |