Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Idukki
Location
Country India
MetropolitanErnakulam–Angamaly
Statistics
Area3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2009)
760,350
261,750 (34%)
Parishes151
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchSyro-Malabar Catholic Church
RiteEast Syriac Rite
Established15 January 2003
CathedralCathedral of St George in VazhathoppeIdukki
Patron saintMar Sleeva
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Major ArchbishopRaphael Thattil
BishopJohn Nellikkunnel
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Eparchy of Idukki is a suffragan eparchy (Eastern Catholic diocese) in southern India, in the ecclesiastical province of the Major Archdiocese of Eranakulam-Angamaly, which heads the entire Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

Its cathedral episcopal see is Saint George's Cathedral Vazhathoppe, Idukki township, Kerala.

History

The creation of the diocese on 15 January 2003, as the twenty-sixth eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, on territory split off from the Diocese of Kothamangalam is contained in an Apostolic Constitution Maturescens catholica fideis put forth by Pope John Paul II in December 2002. It started with 114 parishes and mission stations.

Statistics

As of 2015, it pastorally served 266,600 Catholics (34.0% of 785,000 total; there are also Latin Catholics and Syro-Malankara Catholics in this region, belonging to the Diocese of Vijayapuram viz. Thiruvalla, and Christians of Jacobite and Orthodox Churches besides various Protestant denominations) on 3,000 km² in 155 parishes with 573 priests (238 diocesan, 335 religious), 1,306 lay religious (350 brothers, 956 sisters) and 86 seminarians.

Episcopal Ordinaries

Eparchs of Idukki
  1. Mathew Anikuzhikattil (2003.01.15 – retired 2018.01.12), originated from the Eparchy of Kothamangalam
  2. John Nellikunnel (2018.01.12 – ...).

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