Bangalore (CCBI) : The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Thomas Anthonios Valiyavilayil OIC (66) Bishop of the Eparchy of St. John Chrysostom of Gurgaon of the Syro-Malankara, transferring him from the Eparchy of St. Ephrem of Khadki of the Syro-Malankara. This provision was made public on 7 May, 2022.

Fr. Antony Kakkanatt is appointed as Curia Bishop of Syro Malankara Catholic Church and Fr. Mathew Manakkara appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum Major Archdiocese of Syro Malankara.

Bishop Thomas Anthonios Valiyavilayil OIC was born on November 21, 1955 in Adoor, in the Archieparchy of Trivandrum. A religious belonging to the Order of the Imitation of Christ Institute , he made his perpetual profession on December 9, 1980 and was ordained a priest on the following December 27. He received his doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute .

After ordination, he held the following positions: Superior of various convents; Director of a school in Kottayam; Master of postulants; Treasurer; Chaplain and parish priest; Professor in Trivandrum 's St. Mary's Malankara Major Seminary and other Major Seminaries; General Councilor of his Institute and Postulator of the Cause of Beatification of the Servant of God Mar Ivanios; Chancellor of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the Syrian Malankara Church.

Elected Bishop on January 25, 2010, he was assigned the titular See of Igilgili and received episcopal consecration on March 13 of the same year. On 26 March 2015 he was appointed first Apostolic Exarch of St. Ephrem of Khadki of the Syro-Malankara. On 23 November 2019, at the same time as the elevation of the Exarchate to Eparchy, he was appointed as the first bishop of the circumscription.

The press release regarding the appointment was published by Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General, CCBI