Joy Alappatt

{{short description|Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic bishop (b. 1956)}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = Bishop

| honorific-prefix = Mar

| name = John Alappatt
{{Script/Mdnh|ܝܘܚܢܢ ܐܠܦܬ}}

| title = Eparch of St. Thomas of Chicago

| image = BishopJoy.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| church = Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

| archdiocese =

| diocese = Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas of Chicago

| see =

| appointed = July 3, 2022

| enthroned = October 1, 2022

| retired =

| predecessor = Jacob Angadiath

| successor =

| other_post =

| ordination = December 31, 1981

| ordained_by = James Pazhayattil

| consecration = September 27, 2014

| consecrated_by = George Alencherry, Jacob Angadiath and Pauly Kannookadan

| rank =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|9|27}}

| birth_place = Parappukara, Kerala, India

| death_date =

| death_place =

| previous_post = Auxiliary Eparch of St. Thomas of Chicago (2014-2022)
Titular Bishop of Bencenna (2014-2022)

| religion =

| motto = Joyfully for your souls

| birth_name = John Alappatt

}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= Joy Alappatt

| dipstyle=

Mar

| offstyle=Mar

| relstyle=Eparch

| image = Joy_alappat_motto.jpeg

| image_size = 200px

}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/30143/new-auxiliary-bishop-for-us-syro-malabar-eparchy-named|title=New auxiliary bishop for US Syro-Malabar eparchy named|publisher=Catholic News Agency|access-date=2014-12-10|last=|first=}} 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.

= Auxiliary Bishop =

Pope Francis named Alappatt as the titular bishop of Bencenna and the Auxiliary Bishop of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago on July 24, 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/bishops-1.htm|title=Bishops who are not Ordinaries of Sees|publisher=Giga Catholic|accessdate=2014-12-10|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116225742/http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/bishops-1.htm|archivedate=2014-11-16}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/balappat.html|title=Bishop John "Joy" Alappat|publisher=Catholic-Hierarchy|accessdate=2014-12-10|last=|first=}}

= Eparch =

On July 3, 2022, Pope Francis accepted Bishop Jacob Angadiath's resignation, and named Alappatt as successor.{{Cite web |title=Resignations and Appointments |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2022/07/03/220703b.html |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=press.vatican.va}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Episcopal Installation of Bishop Joy Alappatt |url=https://smchicago.org/episcopal-installation-of-bishop-joy-alappatt/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral |language=en-US}}

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{{Cite web |title=Thousands discover 'beautiful diversity' around the Eucharist at congress's Eastern liturgies |url=https://www.detroitcatholic.com/news/thousands-discover-beautiful-diversity-around-the-eucharist-at-congresss-eastern-liturgies |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=Detroit Catholic |language=en-US}}