Thomas Eusebius (also known as Thomas Mar Eusebius, born Thomas Naickamparampil on June 6, 1961) is a bishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See. He currently serves as the first Eparch (Bishop) of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of Parassala, India.
Early Life and Education
Thomas Naickamparampil was born on June 6, 1961, in Mylapra, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India, as the fourth child of N.T. Varughese and Sosamma Varughese of the Naickamparambil family. His home parish is Sacred Heart Malankara Catholic Church, Mylapra. He completed his schooling at Govt U.P. School Moozhiyar and Sacred Heart High School, Mylapra, before joining St. Aloysious Minor Seminary, Pattom. After completing Pre-Degree from Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum, he pursued priestly education at Papal Seminary, Pune. He earned a Master's degree in Philosophy from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, and a Doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, where his doctoral dissertation was published under the title Through Self-Discovery to Self-Transcendence: A Study of Cognitional Self-Appropriation in Bernard Lonergan (ISBN 8876527508). He speaks Malayalam, English, German, Italian, and Hindi, and has knowledge of Syriac, Greek, and French.
Ordination and Ministry
He was ordained a priest (Kasheeso) for the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on December 29, 1986, by Benedict Mar Gregorios. Following ordination, he served as assistant pastor and pastor in multiple communities, and later as a professor of philosophy and Dean of Philosophy at St. Mary's Malankara Major Seminary, Trivandrum. He also served as a visiting professor at St. Thomas Seminary (Vadavathoor), Vincentian Seminary (Bangalore), Carmel Hill Seminary (Trivandrum), and Benedictine Seminary (Kappadu). His administrative roles included Secretary of the Synodal Commission for Clergy of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Priests' Personnel of the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum, Member of the Major Archdiocesan Council, and Bursar of the Sarvodaya Schools, Trivandrum.
Episcopacy
On July 14, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI established an Apostolic Exarchate for the Syro-Malankara Catholic faithful in the United States, and Father Thomas Naickamparambil was appointed the first bishop of the Exarchate and Apostolic Visitator to Syro-Malankara Catholics in Canada and Europe. He was consecrated a bishop on September 21, 2010, by Baselios Cleemis Catholicos at St. Mary's Cathedral, Pattom, assuming the name Thomas Mar Eusebius. He was installed on October 3, 2010, at Kellenberg Memorial High School, New York.
On January 4, 2016, Pope Francis raised the Exarchate to the status of an Eparchy named St. Mary, Queen of Peace Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in USA and Canada, and appointed Thomas Mar Eusebius as its first bishop. He was installed on January 23, 2016.
On August 4, 2017, the Eparchy of Parassala was established by bifurcating the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum, and Thomas Mar Eusebius was appointed its first bishop. His installation took place on September 23, 2017.
His heavenly patron is St. Eusebius of Caesarea, whose feast is celebrated on May 30.
