Amidst solemn prayers, Mar George Alenchery was installed the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church on Sunday at St Mary’s Basilica, Ernakulam, the cathedral church of the Syro-Malabar Church.
The installation ceremony began with the designated Major Archbishop, escorted by other bishops, entering the altar of St Mary’s Basilica around 3 pm. Syro-Malabar Church Curia Bishop Mar Bosco Puthur welcomed the gathering. Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, the Apostolic Nuncio to India, read out the papal message and the message from the Prefect of Congregation for the Oriental Churches. He also presented a memento to the new Archbishop.
Syro-Malankara Church head Archbishop Baselios Cleemis, Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India (CBCI) president Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, all the bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church, representatives of priests, religious and laity of all Syro-Malabar dioceses, bishops and metropolitans of other Christian denominations, Union Minister K V Thomas, ministers K Babu, K M Mani, Supreme Court Judge Justice Syriac Joseph were present at the ceremony.
The third Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, Mar Alenchery is the first Major Archbishop, whom the Synod elected its own after the Syro-Malabar Church was elevated to the status of Major Archepiscopal Church. His predecessors Mar Antony Padiyara and Mar Vithayathil were appointed by the Pope.
Alencherry was born on 19 April 1945 at Thuruthy in Kottayam. After his school education he joined the seminary and was ordained priest on December 18, 1972.
He had done his B A (Economics) from the Kerala University with second rank, in 1965. After his ordination he successfully completed his M.Th. from the Pontifical Theological Institute, Alwaye where he came first. He also has a D.S.E.B. and D.Th. conjointly from Sorbonne University and Institut Caholique de Paris, France in 1986. During his priestly ministry, he held many offices in the
Archdiocese of Changanacherry and elsewhere.
From 1976 to 78 he was the Director of Catechetics, from 1986 to 93 he was the Deputy Secretary of KCBC, from 1986 to 91 he was the Director of the Pastoral Orientation Centre at Palarivattam, Professor at Paurastya vidyapitham, Kottayam from 1986-97, Protosyncellus of the Archdiocese of Changanacherry from 1994 to 97. 