By The Hindu
Ordination was held at Marth Mariyam Big Church Cathedral, Thrissur.
The ordination ceremony was presided over by Mar Awa III, Patriarch of the Church of the East based in Erbil in Iraq.
“This the happiest day for Chaldean Syrian Church in India and also for Assyrians all over the world. This ordination will be remembered for generations. This is a historic event,” said the Patriarch.
He expressed gratitude to Mar Aprem for serving the Indian Archdiocese as Metropolitan for 55 years. The Patriarch congratulated new Metropolitan Mar Awgin Kuriakose. He thanked the government of Kerala for treating him as an official guest of the State.
“This the happiest day for Chaldean Syrian Church in India and also for Assyrians all over the world. This ordination will be remembered for generations. This is a historic event,” said the Patriarch.
He expressed gratitude to Mar Aprem for serving the Indian Archdiocese as Metropolitan for 55 years. The Patriarch congratulated new Metropolitan Mar Awgin Kuriakose. He thanked the government of Kerala for treating him as an official guest of the State.
The new Metropolitan requested every member of the Church to work for unity and peace. Mar Awgin has been popular among people with his campaigns like “Don’t waste food” & “Avoid using single- use plastics”.
The new Metropolitan will be the charge of Churches in India and Southern Gulf Countries. Mar Awgin Kuriakose was consecrated as the successor of Mar Aprem, Metropolitan. Mar Awgin will be based in Thrissur where he had earlier served as Patriarchal Administrator.
Mar Aprem, Metropolitan of India; Mar Aprim Athneil, Metropolitan of Syria; Mar Paulus Benjamin, Bishop of Eastern USA; Mar Benyamin, Bishop of New Zealand; Mar Emmanuel, Bishop of Canada; Mar Yohanan Yoseph, Bishop of India and Synod Secretary William Thoma were present.
Ordination of a Metropolitan is being held for the first time in India in the history of Chaldean Syrian Church of the East. Hundreds of devotees attended the function.
A public function was held in the afternoon at Chaldean Syrian Higher Secondary School ground to honour Patriarch Mar Awa III and new Metropolitan Mar Awgin Kuriakose.
Goa Governor S. Sreedharan Pillai inaugurated the public function. Ministers K. Rajan and K. Radhakrishnan; Mayor M.K. Varghese, heads of various Churches, MPs and MLAs attended the programme.
