Archbishop Joseph (Joy) Kalathiparambil

Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil was born on 6 October 1952 in Vaduthala in Eranakulam district in the state of Kerala, India. His father Avarachan was a supervisor in Cochin Port in civil section. His mother Tresia was a housewife. He has an elder sister Mary and a younger sister Teresa, and two brothers George and Anson. He did his primary education in St. Mary’s UP School Chittoor. Later, in 1965 he jointed in the Ernakulam petit seminary and did his High School studies at St. Albert’s School. After his Pre-Degree course at St. Paul’s College Kalamassery, he was sent to Thiruchirappally St. Paul’s Seminary for his Philosophical studies. Later he graduated with Bachelor of Theology from Mangalapuzha Seminary, Alwaye. He was ordained priest on 13 March 1978, by Archbishop Joseph Kelanthara of the Archdiocese of Verapoly. Fr. Joseph Kalathiparambil was appointed as the Assistant Parish Priest of St. Francis Assisi Cathedral and his first assignment to assist Fr. Alexander Vadakkumthala. In 1980 he was sent to Rome for higher studies and obtained Doctorate in Canon Law from Pontifical Urban University. Later Fr. Joseph was appointed as the Vice Rector of Collegio San Paolo, Rome in 1984. In 1989 Fr. Joseph Kalathiparambil returned to Kerala and took charge as the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Verapoly, and the same year he was conferred the title “Monsignor” – Capellano di Sua Santita (Chaplain of His Holiness) by Pope John Paul II. After seven years he was appointed Manager of St. Paul’s College Kalamassery in 1994. He was appointed the Vicar General of the Archdiocese from 1996 to 2002. He was nominated Bishop of Calicut on April 19, 2002, and was consecrated on May 19, 2002. He served as the Bishop of Calicut for almost 9 years and was then appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People on February 22, 2011. On March 5, he was also appointed as a Member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Dr. Joseph Kalathiparambil was appointed as the Archbishop of Verapoly by His Holiness Pope Francis on October 31, 2016. His formal installation as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Verapoly took place on December 18, 2016. Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, and Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum were part of the installation ceremony.