Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal, the Curia Bishop, was born as the eighth child of Vaniyapurackal V.M. Thomas and Late Mrs. Eliamma on 29 March 1967.  He belongs to Nirmalagiri Parish of the Eparchy of Kanjirapally.  Having completed his school education from St. Louis L.P. School, Mundakayam and St. Joseph High School, Peruvanthanam, Fr. Sebastian joined Mary Matha Minor Seminary, Podimattam in 1982 for his priestly formation. He did his philosophical and theological studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor.  He was ordained priest on 30 December 1992 by Bishop Mathew Vattakuzhy. After ordination, he served as Assistant Parish Priest at St. George’s Forane Church, Kattappana. In 1995 he was appointed Director, Yuvadeepti, Kanjhirapally. He was sent for Higher Studies in Rome in 2000 and obtained Doctorate in Canon Law from Holy Cross University, Rome. After his return, Fr. Sebastian served as the Judicial Vicar of the Eparchy, Parish Priest of Koratty, Poomattam, Chennakkunnu and Mulamkunnu and as the Defender of the Bond at the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Tribunal, Kakkanad. He was also teaching in the Benedictine Ashram, Kappad, Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kunnoth and Nirmala Theological College, Podimattam. He was elected Curia Bishop while serving as Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Vice Chancellor at Mount St. Thomas.  Besides Malayalam, Fr. Sebastian is proficient in English, Italian and German.

Fr Vaniyapurackal is the second curia bishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. The See was vacant from the year 2014 onwards, when Bishop Bosco Puthur, the first Curia Bishop, was transferred to the newly erected St Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Melbourne in Australia.

The Titular See of the Bishop-elect is Troina. He was ordained bishop on 12th November 2017.