The Eparchy of Palai has an area of 1166 Sq. Km comprising the Meenachil Taluk and a few villages of the neighbouring Taluks in Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki Districts of Central Kerala. The faithful of this Eparchy, numbering 3,34,668 belong to the ancient St Thomas Christian Community.

His Holiness Pope Pius XII of happy memory, by the Bull ‘Quo Ecclesiarum’ issued on 25 July 1950, bifurated the Eparchy of Changanacherry and out of the territory covered by the then Foranes of Palai, Muttuchira, Kuravilangad, Anakkallu and Ramapuram erected the Eparchy of Palai as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam. Most Rev. Dr Leo P. Kierkels, the Apostle Internuncio in India, published the Bull in the St Thomas Cathedral Palai on 04 January 1951 and installed Mar Sebastian Vayalil as the first Bishop of the new Eparchy. On the 22 of August 1956 when the Holy See by the Apostolic Constitution ‘Regnum Caelorum’ raised the Eparchy of Changanacherry to the status of an Archeparchy and constituted the new ecclesiastical province of Changanacherry, the Eparchy of Palai became one of its suffragans.

Profile of Diocese

 

Personnel                                                  Number

1. Catholic Laity                                      :  334668
2. Parishes and Mission Stations           :   171 Parishes      
3. Priests (Diocesan)                              :  473
4. Priests (Religious)                              : 1430
5. Religious Brothers                              : 138
6. Seminarians (Diocesan)                     : 180
7. Seminarians (Religious)                     :
8. Women Religious                               : 3988
    

Institutions                                          Number

1. Ecclesiastical

1. Minor Seminary (Diocesan)                             :  1
2. Minor Seminary (Religious)                                : 10                  
3. Priest Home                                                       :   2                     
4. Pastoral Centre                                                  :  1                     
5. Renewal Centre                                                 :  1 

                                    

2. Educational

1. Colleges (Diocesan)                                        :12
2. Colleges (Religious)                                           :2
3. Training Schools (Diocesan)                            :7
4. Training Schools (Religious)                              :2
5. Technical Institutes (Diocesan)                             :
6. Technical Institutes (Religious)                          :2
7. School Aided (Diocesan)                               :158
8. School Aided (Religious)                                 :
9. School Unaided (Diocesan)                           :43
10. School Unaided (Religious)                            :
11. Hostel Boys (Diocesan)                                 :4
12. Hostel Girls (Diocesan)                                  :4
13. Hostel Boys (Religious)                                   :24
14. Hostel Girls (Religious)                                    :29

 

3. Charitable

1. Orphanage Boys (Diocesan)                              :1
2. Orphanage Girls (Diocesan)                               :1
3. Orphanage Boys (Religious)                                 :4
4. Orphanage Girls (Religious)                                  :6
5. Hospitals (Diocesan)                                           :3
6. Hospitals (Religious)                                              :7
7. Old Age Homes for Men (Diocesan)                   :2
8. Old Age Homes for Men (Religious)                     :16
9. Old Age Homes for Women (Diocesan)              :2
10. Old Age Homes for Women (Religious)            :18
11. Rehabilitation Centres (Diocesan)                      :2
12. Rehabilitation Centres (Religious)                       :11
13. Palliative Care Centres (Diocesan)                    :2
14. Palliative Care Centres (Religious)                      :7

 

4. Others

 

1. Retreat Centre (Diocesan)                                :1
2. Retreat Centre (Religious)                                  :6
3. Press (Diocesan)                                             :1
4. Press (Religious)                                                :5
5. Publications (Diocesan)                                   :13
6. Publications (Religious)                                     :12
7. Book Stalls (Diocesan)                                    :2
8. Book Stalls (Religious)                                      :4
9. Others (Diocesan)                                          :
10. Others (Religious)                                             :

 

St. Thomas Cathedral, Pala