SW News: Pope Francis has named Mar Joy Alappatt as the second bishop of the St Thomas Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Chicago in the US. He had been serving as its auxiliary bishop since 2014. He succeeds 76-year-old Mar Jacob Angadiath whose resignation was accepted by the Vatican. The announcement of the new appointment was made in Washington DC on July 3 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.

The date of installation of the new bishop will be announced later. Born in Parappukara, Thrissur, in the south Indian state of Kerala on September 27, 1956, the bishop-elect joined St Mary’s Minor Seminary after his high school graduation. He later finished his priestly formation at the St Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor. On December 31, 1981, he was ordained priest by Bishop James Pazhayattil of Irinjalakuda Diocese.

It was in 1994 that he first came to the US where he served as Associate Pastor in Staten Island, New York, and New Milford in New Jersey. After completing the Clinical Pastoral Education Program, Fr Alappatt served at Georgetown University in Washington DC as a chaplain. It was in 2001 that Bishop Angadiath invited him to serve the Syro-Malabar Catholics belonging to the Diocese of Chicago.

Fr Alappatt also served as director of Syro-Malabar Mission of Garfield in Newark and as the administrator of Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Garfield. Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of the Chicago Diocese on July 24, 2014, and he received episcopal consecration on September 27 of the same year.

The St Thomas Diocese of Chicago ministers to all Catholics belonging to the south India-based Syro-Malabar Church. It is one of the 23 Oriental Churches in full communion with Rome. It was on March 13, 2001, that the first Syro-Malabar Diocese outside India was erected in Chicago, USA.