NEWSLETTER StEparchy of St. ThomasThomas the Apostle of Melbourne of the Syro-Malabars APRIL 2014, VOLUME 1, NO. 1 Establishment of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy and Installation of Bishop Bosco Puthur Family groups, many in traditional Indian Denis Hart; Archbishop of Melbourne and land, the Syro-Malabar faithful now num- dress, gathered at St Patrick’s Cathedral on President of Australian Catholic Bishops ber about 40,000. the evening of 25th March for the installa- Conference, Archbishop John Dew, Arch- tion of the first Syro-Malabar Eparch in Aus- bishop of Wellington and President of New Archbishop Hart and Fr Francis Kolencher- tralia, Bishop Bosco Puthur, and the formal Zealand Catholic Bishop’s Conference and ry (National Coordinator, Syro Malabar establishment of the Eparchy of St Thomas Msgr Greg Bennet; Vicar General, Archdio- Church Australia), a Syro-Malabar priest the Apostle in Melbourne. cese of Melbourne. Over a hundred priests from the Archdiocese of Ernakulam and and bishops from the Latin and Syro-Mal- Angamaly, made the welcoming address- abar rites and parish priests from Austra- Special celebrants, dignitaries and the es. “It is a great honour for us to welcome lia and New Zealand participated in the Syro- Malabar faithful attended from Bishop Puthur and to make available St Mass and installation, at St Patrick’s Cathe- around Australia and overseas. Celebrants Patrick’s Cathedral for this significant cere- dral with near capacity. Following the an- included Major Archbishop Cardinal mony in the life of the Church,” Archbishop nouncement of the new eparchy by Pope George Alencherry, Archbishop Paul Gal- Hart said. Francis in January, Melbourne and Chicago lagher; Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, Fr are the only two dioceses of the Syro-Mala- Francis Kolencherry; National Coordinator, Continued on the next page.... bar Church outside India. Though relatively Syro Malabar Church Australia, Archbishop new migrants to Australia and New Zea- IN THIS ISSUE • SYRO-MALABAR EPARCHY INSTALLATION CEREMONY • HOMILY OF THE MAJOR ARCHBISHOP GEORGE CARDINAL ALENCHERRY • EASTER MESSAGE FROM BISHOP BOSCO PUTHUR • APPOINTMENT LETTERS FROM THE VATICAN • BISHOP’S PROGRAM DIARY • SAINT OF THE MONTH 1 St Thomas Newsletter “Dear Bishop Bosco, it is with joy and warmth on behalf of the Syro-Mal- “It is [also] with the generous support abarese people, the people of the of the Most Reverend Denis Hart, Archdiocese of Melbourne and of the Archbishop of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Australia and New Zea- Catholic Bishops Conference in Austra- land, that I welcome you as you take lia and the Bishops Conference of New possession of the Eparchy of St Thom- Zealand that the ceremony has been so as of Melbourne. “Today we assure smooth today,” Bishop Puthur said. “I’d you of our prayers and support, of also like to express my our welcome among us as a brother appreciation (and) the timely support bishop and of our love and respect for that I continue to get from the bishops the ancient tradition of the St Thomas and parish priests in Australia and in Christians which you carry with you New Zealand,” he added. and your people into new countries and with new challenges. Bishop Puthur also paid tribute to a for- mer Archbishop in India who made the ”Fr Kolencherry warmly welcomed long journey to Melbourne for the cer- the Latin and Eastern Rites’ priests emony. “He’s 84 and yet he came and bishops and all those who trav- enthusiastically to take part in this elled long distances to attend the cer- ceremony,” said Bishop Puthur, a emony. The origins of the Syro-Mala- remark that drew loud applause. bar Catholics, who were known as St Thomas Christians until the late 19th century, can be traced back to 52AD when Thomas the Apostle arrived in Kodungallur in Kerala, India to spread Christ’s message. Archbishop Paul Gallagher read the Papal Bull, while traditional hymns were performed by the 30-strong choir greatly enriched the two-hour service. In his homily Cardinal Alencherry said the installation of Bishop Puthur was a great blessing for the Catholic Church. “Let us be thankful to God for this gift of the new eparchy and also for the first bishop of this eparchy, Mar Bos- co Puthur. The enthusiasm of the Sy- ro-Malabar communities in Melbourne and in Australia deserves From Left to Right: Archbishop Denis Hart, Bishop Joshua special mention. ”The Mass ended Mar Ignathios Archbishop Geroge Cardinal Alencherry, with words of thanks from Bishop Bishop Bosco Puthur and Archbishop Paul Gallagher Puthur, especially for Pope Francis and Archbishop Gallagher. Courtesy: Kairos Catholic Journal article wirtten by David Ahern and images by Casamento Photography. 2014. Syro-Malabar Eparch Installa- tion Mass. [ONLINE] Available at: http://mediablog.catholic.org.au/?p=2663. [Accessed 16 April 14]. 2 St Thomas Newsletter Homily of the Major Archbishop at the Installation of Bishop Bosco Puthur St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, Australia 25 March 2014 Dear Brother Archbishops and Bishops the Apostle, Melbourne and Apostolic to the growth of the witness of faith of and my dear brothers and sisters in Visitator of New Zealand. Let us pray the whole Church in Australia in unison Jesus Christ, for the success of his apostolate here with the other Oriental Eparchies here in this new Eparchy. and the largest community of faithful This day of the Feast of the Annuncia- in Latin dioceses of the Country, there- tion has become a day of great bless- In St. John’s Gospel itself, Ch. 17.26 we by the new Syro-Malabar Eparchy of ing for the Church in Australia and in have the prayer of Jesus concluded I Melbourne becoming a meaningful particular for the Syro Malabar Church. the words: “I made your name known presence and witness in Australia. It was a long - cherished desire for the to them and I will make it known so Syro – Malabar faithful of this country that the love with which you have I am confident that the Church in Aus- to have an Eparchy of their own and loved me may be in them and I in them.” tralia will hail the new Eparchy with a Bishop for their pastoral care. This is So it is the same love relationship that great generosity and will extend every being realized today. We all know that the Son has with the Father that Jesus support for Bishop Bosco Puthur and I it is an act of the grace of God mani- wishes to be in the Apostles also and it thank all the Archbishops and Bishops fested through the pastoral solicitude is this love that should strengthen the for their graceful presence in this his- of the Apostolic See and the whole- Apostles in their service as Shepherds. torical celebration. hearted support of the Australian Bish- op’s Conference. The Church is a communion of love Finally I pray that Mary Mother of rooted in the communion of love that Christ, St Thomas our Father in faith, Let us be thankful to God for this great exists in the Triune God. This commu- Saint Mary MacKillop, St Alphonsa, gift of the new Eparchy and also of nion of love should be realized in the Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara and the first bishop of this Eparchy, Mar new Eparchy with its own specific Blessed Evuprasiamma who are at the Bosco Puthur. I take this opportunity Apostolic Tradition that the Syro Mal- threshold of Canonization and the oth- to express our gratitude to the Apos- abar Church has lived through 2000 er Blesseds of the Syro-Malabar Church tolic See, to His Excellency Archbishop years of its existence in India and now to intercede for the truly Christian wit- Paul Gallagher, the Apostolic Nuncio in also in other countries. This commu- ness of this new Eparchy and for the Australia and to the Australian Bishop’s nion should grow in the new Eparchy success of the Apostolate of Bishop Bo- Conference with its present President with an experience of the Word of sco Puthur. Abp Denis J. Hart and Abp John Dew, God , the Sacraments, especially the President of NZ Bishop’s Conference, Holy Qurbana, the Catechesis, the May God bless all of us! who have been instrumental in the Family Prayer, the Family Unit Meet- erection of the new Eparchy and the ings, the Administration of the Church George Cardinal Alencherry appointment of Bishop Bosco Puthur. through the Palliyogam, Parish and Major Archbishop of the Pastoral Councils, the Fast and Pen- Syro-MalabarChurch ance, the Way of celebrating liturgical Bishop Bosco was the Curia Bishop Feasts and Pilgrimages. It is all these ever since his Episcopal ordination on elements together that make the tra- 13 February 2010 and later held office dition of St Thomas Christians and also of the Secretary of the Synod of that account for all the blessings of Bishops. Both as a priest and Bishop God that this Church could receive all he has a rich pastoral and administra- through the centuries. This specific tive experience and spiritual vision. witness of the communion in the Ep- All have acclaimed his appointment archy of Melbourne should contribute as Bishop of the Eparchy of St Thomas 3 St Thomas Newsletter CuÌÀ ktμiw ss{IkvXhcmb \ap¡v B−ph«¯n Gähpw {][m\s¸« Znhk§fmWv henb Bgv¨ (Holy week). Hmim\ RmbÀ apX \mw AXnXo{hXtbmsS \½psS IÀ¯mhotimaninlmbpsS s]klm clky§fnte¡v þ]oUmë`hw, æcnipacWw, D°m\wþ Bgv¶nd§pIbmWv. henb t\m¼pIme¯v {]mÀ°\, D]hmkw, Zm\[À½w F¶o ]pWym`ymk§fneqsS \mw DbnÀ¸pXnê¶mfnsâ Aë{KlhÀjw kzoIcnçhm³ Hcp§n hcnIbmWtÃm.