Jacob Thoomkuzhy

Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy (13 December 1930 – 17 September 2025) was an Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic hierarch. He was the first bishop of the Mananthavady eparchy, second bishop of the Thamarassery eparchy, and the second Metropolitan archbishop of the Archeparchy of Trichur in India.

Biography Thoomkuzy was born on 13 December 1930 to Kurian and Rosa Thoomkuzhy in Vilakumadam, today a part of the state of Kerala in India and at the time a part of the Kingdom of Travancore, one of the many princely states of the British Raj. The Thoomkuzhy family later moved to Thiruvambady in Kozhikode.

In 1947, he joined the minor seminary at Changanacherry. He remained in Rome for another four years to obtain a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University.

Following more than 15 years of service, including participating in pastoral work, Pope Paul VI ordained him Bishop of the newly formed Eparchy of Mananthavady on 1 March 1973. His ordination ceremony occurred exactly two months later on 1 May. Cardinal Joseph Parecattil served as the main consecrator; Sebastian Vayalil, Bishop of the Eparchy of Palai, and Sebastian Valloppilly, Bishop of the Eparchy of Tellicherry, served as co-concentrators.

After 22 years as head of Eparchy of Manathanvady, he was transferred to the position of Bishop of Thamarasserry on 18 May 1995. On 7 June 1995, he was appointed bishop of Thamarassery, and took charge of his office on 28 July 1995. On 18 December 1996, he was again transferred as the Archbishop of Trichur and was installed on 15 February 1997.

He served as archbishop until 22 January 2007, when he resigned due to old age. he founded the Mary Matha Major Seminary in 1997, the Jyothi Engineering College in 2002, and the Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute in 2003; all three of these institutions are located in the Thrissur area. Additionally, he played a key role in the launch of the Malayalam language-channel Jeevan TV in 2002. Thoomkuzy died at 2:50 pm (IST) and had been admitted to the Julibee Mission Medical College Hospital a few days earlier.