KOCHI: The Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church Mar Raphael Thattil has appointed Mar Thomas Tharayil as the Archbishop of Changanassery and Mar Prince Antony Panengadan as the Bishop of Shamshabad. They were elected to the new offices at the third session of the 32nd Synod of Bishops held at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St Thomas, Kakkanad, from August 19 to 31.
Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt of Pala Eparchy, a member of the Permanent Synod, felicitated the newly appointed Bishops.
Mar Tharayil has been appointed Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Changanassery following the retirement of Archbishop Mar Joseph Perumthottam, who reached the canonical retirement age of 75.
After Mar Raphael Thattil, the former Bishop of Shamshabad, was elected as the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, the diocese was without a shepherd. Mar Prince Antony Panengadan will be the successor of Mar Thattil in Shamshabad, which is the largest diocese in India covering 23 states and four Union Territories.
Mar Tharayil was born as the seventh son of T J Joseph and Mariamma of the Cathedral parish in the Archeparchy of Changanassery. He started his priestly formation at St Thomas Minor Seminary, Kurichy, and pursued philosophical and theological studies at St Thomas Apos-tolic Seminary in Vadavathoor.
He was ordained a priest on January 1, 2000, in the Great Jubilee Year, by Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil. He was consecrated Bishop on April 23, 2017. Mar Tharayil is proficient in English, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Bishop Antony Prince Panengadan was born as the second son of P J Devassy and A M Kochuthressia in Arimbur in the Archdiocese of Thrissur. After completing his school education, he joined the CMI Congregation. After his novitiate, he joined the Eparchy of Adilabad. He was ordained priest on April 25, 2007.
He was appointed the second Bishop of the Eparchy of Adilabad in 2015 and was consecrated and installed on October 25, 2015. Apart from English, he is fluent in Telugu, Italian and German. The dates of installation of Mar Tharayil and Mar Panengadan will be intimated later.