Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Idukki

The Eparchy of Idukki is an eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in southern India. It belongs to the ecclesiastical province of Eranakulam-Angamaly. Its cathedral church is Saint George's Cathedral Vazhathoppe, Idukki township, Kerala.

Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Idukki
Location
Country	India
Metropolitan	Ernakulam–Angamaly
Statistics
Area	3,000 km^2 (1,200 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2009) 760,350 261,750 (34%)
Parishes	151
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Rite	East Syriac Rite
Established	15 January 2003
Cathedral	Cathedral of St George in VazhathoppeIdukki
Patron saint	Mar Sleeva
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Major Archbishop	Raphael Thattil
Bishop	John Nellikkunnel
Website
Website of the Diocese

History

The creation of the diocese on 15 January 2003, as the twenty-sixth eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, on territory split off from the Diocese of Kothamangalam is contained in an Apostolic Constitution Maturescens catholica fideis put forth by Pope John Paul II in December 2002. It started with 114 parishes and mission stations.

Statistics

As of 2015^[update], it pastorally served 266,600 Catholics (34.0% of 785,000 total; there are also Latin Catholics and Syro-Malankara Catholics in this region, belonging to the Diocese of Vijayapuram viz. Thiruvalla, and Christians of Jacobite and Orthodox Churches besides various Protestant denominations) on 3,000 km² in 155 parishes with 573 priests (238 diocesan, 335 religious), 1,306 lay religious (350 brothers, 956 sisters) and 86 seminarians.

Episcopal Ordinaries

Eparchs of Idukki

1. Mathew Anikuzhikattil (2003.01.15 – retired 2018.01.12), originated from the Eparchy of Kothamangalam
2. John Nellikunnel (2018.01.12 – ...).

Sources and external links

• GCatholic, with Google HQ satellite picture - data for all sections
• official diocesan website, with map, diocesan chronicle etc.
• Catholic-Hierarchy