Country India Rite Syro-Malankara Rite Major archbishop Baselios Cleemis Established 26 March 2015 | Denomination Eastern Catholic Pope Francis Patron saint Ephrem the Syrian Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios | |
Sui iuris church Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Cathedral St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Khadki | ||
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Khadki or Apostolic Exarchate of Saint Ephrem of Khadki was established by Pope Francis on 26 March 2015. It is for the Syro-Malankara Catholics of Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It has its pro-cathedral see in the town of Khadki, near Pune, in western India's Maharashtra state.
The apostolic exarchate, an exempt diocese (i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See, not part of either province of the particular church) extends throughout the southern part of India that had formerly not been under dioceses of the Syro-Malankara Church. The mission of the Syro-Malankara church began in 1955 with the founding of Bethany Ashram in Pune for the pastoral care of migrants.