75 Glorious Years for Eparchy of Palai

Pala, 25 July, 2024: The Eparchy of Palai of the Syro-Malabar Diocese celebrates the 75th year of its establishment today. It was created on 25 July 1950 by Pope Pius XII who bifurcated the Changanassery diocese to include the forane churches of Pala, Muttuchira, Kuravilangad, Anakal and Ramapuram under the new Eparchy. 

Mar Sebastian Valayil was appointed as the first bishop of Pala on January 4, 1951, by Apostolic Internunciator Leo P. Kierkells. On November 30, 1953, Cardinal Eugene Tisserant, Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches arrived in Pala bringing with him a relic of St. Thomas, the Apostle from Ortana, Italy. The relic is now kept for veneration in Pala’s St. Thomas Cathedral. 

Pala forms one of the electorates of the Ecclesiastical Province of Changanassery. The beatified persons hailing from Palai Eparchy include St. Alphonsa of Bharananganam and Blessed Kunjachan of Ramapuram. Mar Joseph Kallarangatt is the Bishop of Palai since 2004.

By Catholic Connect Reporter