ARCHBISHOP KURIAKOSE BHARANIKULANGARA (Bishop of Faridabad)

Archbishop Mar Kuriakose Bharanikulangara was born on 1st February, 1959 as the fourth son of Alia and Antony Bharanikulangara at Karippassery. He completed his primary and high school studies at Vattaparambu, Moozhikkulam and  Puliyanam.

He joined the S.H. Minor Seminary, Trikkakara in 1973. He completed his Philosophical studies at St. Joseph’s, Seminary Carmelgiri (1976-’79) and Theological studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalapuzha (1979-’83). He was ordained priest on 18th  December, 1983 by Mar Sebastian Mankuzhikkary. He served the Archdiocese as Assistant parish priest at Tripunithura (1983-’88); as Acting Parish Priest at Thiruvankulam and at  Vimalagiri (1988).

He did his university studies at Kerala University (1984-’88) and P. G. Diploma in Journalism and Communication from Bharathiya Vidhya Bhavan. He holds two Licentiates both in Latin Canon Law and Oriental Canon Law from Rome and a Doctorate in Oriental Canon Law from Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome (1992-’94). He has also completed his Post-Doctoral Studies in Jurisprudence from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome (1994). Archbishop Kuriakose also has specialization and Diplomas in Religious Studies from the Congregation for Religious Life (1990); in Sacraments from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments (1992) and in Canonization from the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints (1993).

He had his Diplomatic Training from the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, Rome. His services were in Diplomatic services of the Holy See in Thailand (1995), Cameroon (1996), Iraq (1999), Venezuela (2001), Congo, Gabon (2004), U.N. Headquarters in New York (2008) and Germany. After 18 years of commendable work in various Vatican nunciatures Monsignor Kuriakose Bharanikulangara was nominated the first bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Faridabad on 6th March 2012. His Episcopal Ordination was on 26th May, 2012 at Delhi and installation was on 27th May, 2012 at Faridabad.