Episcopal Ordination Anniversary of our Catholicos

August 15 is a day close to the heart of all Indian Christians, both because it is the Feast of Shunoyo (or the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and because it is Indian Independence Day, but it is special to Syro-Malankara Catholics for another reason. On 15 August 2001, then-Msgr. Isaac Thottunkal was ordained a bishop. Today, His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church celebrates the eleventh anniversary of his ordination to the episcopacy.

His ministry as Head and Father of our Church is often an arduous task, yet our Major Archbishop-Catholicos is a man of great joy and peace. His rootedness in the Malankara Catholic spiritual tradition is readily evident in all that he does, but especially in his careful and devout celebration of the Holy Qurbono and his homilies and speeches. His pastoral care and affection for his people, especially the faithful of the Exarchate, is so manifestly evident in the amount of time he spends with the people of God directly.

Your Beatitude, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Apostolic Excharate congratulates you on the anniversary of your episcopal ordination and wishes you many more abundant and fruitful years of service for the glory of God and for the building up of His holy Church. Ad multos annos.