Pope Francis erects a new diocese in the US
This new diocese will be located within the Diocese of Rockville Center in New York. But it will have nothing to do with that diocese because it is part of the 22 churches of the Eastern Rite within the Catholic Church. Most of the dioceses had belonged to the Orthodox Church but reverted to the Church of Rome at some time within the last 300 years.
This diocese, or more accurately, Eparchy (as a diocese is called in the Eastern Rites), is part of the Syro-Malankara Church which has six dioceses in India and is headed by a Major Archbishop who is also a Cardinal in the Latin Church. The Syro-Malankara counts 500 thousand members worldwide, most of which live in the southern state of Kerala, India. Here in the United States and Canada they number 11,500. The beginnings of the church are attributed to St. Thomas the Apostle. He is said to have established seven churches in India beginning in 52 AD. Unfortunately, the Christian Church split in the 11th century with most easterners forming the Orthodox Church and westerners the Catholic Church. In 1930 a group of the Malankara Orthodox consisting of two Bishops, a Priest, a Deacon and a Layman of the Malankara Orthodox Church were received into full Communion with Rome. And so, in 1932 Pope Pius 11th established this Eastern Rite under the leadership of Mar Ivanios. Most of the members are descendants of Hindus with traces of Syrian blood. This new American diocese will be called the Eparchy of St. Mary, Queen of Peace and will be based in Elmont, New York. This eparchy or diocese will include 19 parishes, 20 priests as well as threeo rders of religious women.
The 22 Eastern Rites are divided into various groupings. The Malankara Church belongs to the Antiochian tradition with roots in Syria. The other traditions are the Alexandrian Tradition, the Armenian Tradition, the Byzantine Tradition, and the Chaldean Tradition.
One of the interesting features of this Rite is that they do not practice many pious devotions as is done in the West. Their worship is based primarily on the Liturgy which defines the church’s identity. Instead of the word Eucharist or Mass this Rite uses the term “Holy Qurbono.” They do not have the same Liturgical calendar that the Latin Catholics follow but have their own calendar of Liturgical celebrations. The church is headed by His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios, who is also a Cardinal in the Latin Church.
Pope Francis has named Bishop Thomas Naickamparambil to be the first Bishop of this new eparchy. He was born in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1986. His ministry included working in several parishes in India as well as in the major seminary in Kerala.
Even though we might not be too familiar with the various Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church we are fortunate that we have three of these Eastern Rites in our own diocese. One of them is located in Lincoln and is known as St. Basil’s Melkite Church. This church belongs to the Byzantine Tradition. There was another Melkite Church located in Woonsocket but this was recently merged with St. Basils. Also in Rhode Island we have St. Michael’s Ukrainian Church. This church also belongs to the Byzantine Tradition. Further south in Cranston we have St. George’s Maronite Catholic Church belonging to the Antiochian Tradition as does the new Diocese just formed by Pope Francis. It is interesting to note that the Maronite Church, although located in Lebanon in the Near East, never separated from the Catholic Church but does have its own distinct Liturgies.