KOCHI: Rev Dr Ambrose Puthenveettil has been appointed the new bishop of Kottappuram Diocese of the Latin Catholic Church by Pope Francis. Dr Ambrose who was ordained a priest in 1995 at Bregenz in Austria was first appointed as the secretary to the Bishop of Kottappuram.
He then served in various parishes like St Vincent Ferar Church at Chathanad, Don Bosco church at Parur and St Michael’s Cathedral at Kottappuram. Kottappuram diocese spans Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Palakkad districts.
At present, there are 24,221 families in the diocese, 46 parishes, five non-parish churches where the priests are staying permanently, 27 chapels, and 116 priests.
He also worked as the vice-rector of St Francis Assisi Minor Seminary at Manalikad, professor at the Pontifical Institute at Aluva, vice-rector at St Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Carmelgirl at Aluva and the rector of St Antony’s Minor Seminary at Kuttikad. He has been serving as the parish priest of the pilgrim centre St Antony’s Shrine at Chettikad since June 2022.