Archbishop Emeritus

Born on July 5, 1948, at Kongandoor (Punnathura Parish), Joseph (Babychan) had his education in St. Thomas L. P. School Kongandoor, St. Joseph’s High School, Punnathura and St. Berchmans’ College, Changanacherry. Completing his seminary studies at Parel Petty Seminary, Changanacherry and St.Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam, he was ordained priest on 18 December 1974 by Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil, then auxiliary bishop of Changanacherry. After his ministry as assistant parish priest for a few years he was appointed Director of Sandesanilayam, the Catechetical and Pastoral Centre of the Archeparchy, in 1979 and the Chaplain of Christian Workers’ Movement of the Archeparchy. In the Catechetical field, he introduced many training programmes, including Catechetical Leaders’ Training (CLT), which is being continued to this day by Sandesanilayam. In 1983 he was sent for higher studies at Gregorian University Rome, where he took doctorate in Church History.