USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - Bishop Named for New Eparchy in Chicago for Syro-Malabarians; Bishop-elect Angadiath Is Also Apostolic Visitator in Canada

Bishop Named for New Eparchy in Chicago for Syro-Malabarians; Bishop-elect Angadiath Is Also Apostolic Visitator in Canada

WASHINGTON (March 13, 2001) -- Pope John Paul II has appointed Father Jacob Angadiath, Director of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission of the Archdiocese of Chicago, in Bellwood, as Bishop of the newly erected Eparchy of St. Thomas of Chicago of the Syro-Malabarians and as Permanent Apostolic VISITATOR in Canada.

Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, made the announcement.

Jacob Angadiath was born on October 26, 1945 in Periappuram, Kerala, India.

He attended St. Antony's School in Mulakulam, and Government High School, Namakuzhy, India. Pre-university and seminary studies were taken at St. Thomas College and Good Shepherd Minor Seminary, in Palai, and at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam, India.

Father Angadiath was ordained in St. Mary's Church, Palai, for the Diocese of Palai, Kerala, on January 5, 1972. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kerala in 1978 and a Master of Theology degree in 1995 from the University of Dallas.

Bishop-elect Angadiath was an assistant pastor at parishes in India from 1972 to 1980 when he was named Professor at Good Shepherd Minor Seminary, Palai.
From 1984 to 1997, he was Director, Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission in Dallas and assistant pastor at St. Pius X Church there. From 1997 to 1999 he was assistant pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church, Garland, Texas.

Bishop-elect Angadiath was appointed Director of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Archdiocese of Chicago, in 1999.

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has 22 dioceses in India, with 3,400,000 persons. The Syro-Malabarians have mission churches in Chicago and several other cities, with an estimated 200,000 faithful, with 50 priests.