Joy Alappat

Mar John "Joy" Alappatt (born September 27, 1956) is an Indian-born bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in the United States. He serves as the eparch of St. Thomas Eparchy of Chicago since 2022.

He served as the auxiliary bishop of the same eparchy from 2014–2022.

Biography

Early life and ministry John Joy Alappatt was born in Parappukara, Kerala, India. He studied for the priesthood at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary in Vadavathoor, and was ordained a priest for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Irinjalakuda in India on December 31, 1981, by Bishop James Pazhayattil. Alappatt continued his studies at St. Joseph's Pontifical Institute in Aluva an at the Adheva University in Wattair. He was then engaged in pastoral work in Chalkudy, Mala, the cathedral in Irinjalakuda, and as a chaplain in Chennai. In 1993 he was transferred to the United States where he served as a chaplain at the Georgetown University Medical Center where he also completed his clinical pastoral education program. Alappatt also served in pastoral assignments in New Milford, Newark and Garfield, New Jersey and as the vicar at the Mar Thoma Shleeha Cathedral in Bellwood, Illinois. He was ordained a bishop by George Alencherry, the major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, on September 27, 2014. The principal co-consecrators were Jacob Angadiath of Chicago and Pauly Kannookadan of Irinjalakuda.

Eparch On July 3, 2022, Pope Francis accepted Bishop Jacob Angadiath's resignation, and named Alappatt as successor.

Alappatt was installed at the Mar Thoma Sleeha Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral in Bellwood, Illinois by head of the Syro-Malabar Church George Alencherry, Jacob Angadiath, and Stephen Chirappanath in the presence of Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

On July 20, 2024, Mar Joy Alappatt celebrated the Holy Qurbana at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress with Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia Archbishop Borys Gudziak in front of a crowd of 25,000 people including Papal Delegate Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Apostolic Nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre