Bishop
Mar Jacob Angadiath
 

It was from the 1960s that a great number of Indian immigrants reached the United States and Canada. Many of them who came first were students with the intention of pursuing graduate education in the various Universities in the States. Then, professionals such as doctors and nurses came. By the 1980s, the number of Syro-Malabar Catholics including the Knanite Catholics exceeded many thousands. By the time of the establishment of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago, there were several Syro-Malabar missions in different cities of the United States. They were under the jurisdiction of the Bishop designated by the Syro-Malabar Synod for the migrants. Bp. Gregory Karotemeprel who was in charge of the Syro-Malabar migrants made a visit to the United States and Canada in 1996 to have a personal assessment of the situation of the Syro-Malabar Catholics. The report of his assessment and evaluation was sent to the Syro-Malabar Synod as well as to Rome. Holy Father, recognizing the need to preserve the faith and liturgical tradition of the Syro-Malabar Catholics established the eparchy of Chicago in 2001 and appointed Bishop Jacob Angadiath as its first Bishop. The consecration of the Bishop took place on July 1, 2001 The diocese has now four parishes and 29 missions. Total families registered under different parishes and missions would come to be about 8500 of which 1400 would be Knanites.