Our Diocese
Our Diocese Leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Head of the Catholic Church
Pope Leo XIV is the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving as the Successor of St. Peter and leading the faithful throughout the world in faith, unity, and the mission of the Gospel.
Mar Raphel Thattil
Head of the Syro-Malabar Church
Mar Raphael Thattil is the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, serving as its spiritual father and leading the faithful in preserving the Church’s apostolic faith, liturgical tradition, and mission.
Mar Joy Alappat
Head of our Diocese
Mar Joy Alappatt is the Bishop of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago, shepherding Syro-Malabar Catholics across the United States and guiding the faithful in faith, unity, and pastoral mission.
Mar Jacob Angadiath
Bishop Emertius
Mar Jacob Angadiath is the Bishop Emeritus and first Bishop of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago, having faithfully shepherded the Syro-Malabar faithful across the United States.
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Our Diocese History
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is a Major Archiepiscopal Church is in full communion with the Catholic Church and the Pope. Rooted in the apostolic tradition of St. Thomas the Apostle, who according to tradition brought the Gospel to India in A.D. 52, the Church preserves the ancient East Syriac liturgical and spiritual heritage of the St. Thomas Christians.
To serve the growing Syro-Malabar community in the United States, Pope St. John Paul II established the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago on March 13, 2001. The Eparchy has jurisdiction throughout the United States and also provides pastoral care for Knanaya Catholics from the Archeparchy of Kottayam.
Mar Jacob Angadiath was appointed the first Bishop of the Eparchy and received his Episcopal Ordination on July 1, 2001. As the Eparchy continued to grow, Mar Joy Alappatt was appointed Auxiliary Bishop in 2014. In 2020, after reaching the age of 75, Bishop Jacob Angadiath submitted his resignation to the Holy See. On July 3, 2022, Pope Francis accepted his resignation and appointed Bishop Joy Alappatt as the second Bishop of the Eparchy. Under his leadership, the Eparchy has continued to strengthen its ministries for families, youth, young adults, clergy, vocations, and lay leadership while preserving the rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Syro-Malabar Church.
In November 2025, nearly 200 Malayalee Catholic priests from across the United States gathered in Coral Springs, Florida, for Priests Koinonia 2025. Jointly organized by the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Chicago and Our Lady of Health Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church, the gathering provided an important opportunity for prayer, priestly fraternity, fellowship, and renewed commitment to pastoral ministry in the United States.
In July 2026, the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago celebrated its Silver Jubilee, marking 25 years since its establishment in 2001. The Jubilee brought together bishops, priests, religious, families, youth, and faithful from across the country in thanksgiving for the growth of the Eparchy and the sacrifices of the generations who helped build the Syro-Malabar Church in America. The celebration also looked toward the future with renewed commitment to faith formation, evangelization, vocations, family life, and the preservation of the Syro-Malabar Catholic identity for generations to come.