The Holy Father on Saturday appointed Rev. Priest Gheevarghese (George) Kurisummoottil, currently Syncellus for the Syro-Malankara faithful as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archieparchy of Kottayam of the Syro-Malabars (India) and assigned him the titular see of Chayal dei Syro-Malankara. The chosen one took the name of Gheevarghese Mar Aprem.
His Excellency Msgr. Gheevarghese Mar Aprem Kurisummottil was born on 9 August 1961 in Tiruvalla, and entered St. Stanislaw’s Minor Seminary in Kottayam after primary school. He did his philosophical and theological studies in St. Joseph’s Interdiocesan Seminary in Mangalore. After his priestly ordination on December 27, 1987, he was vice-rector of the minor seminary for three years.
He served for ten years in various parishes, before earning his Master’s degree in Sacred Art at Holy Spirit Maronite University in Kaslik (Lebanon), where he resided from 2001 to 2004.
Following high school, he taught iconography at the St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute and icon theology at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary.
He was Director of the “Hadusa” Commission for the Performing Arts of the Archieparchy of Kottayam from 2009 to 2013, while exercising the parish ministry.
Since 2014 he has been parish priest of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Ranni.
In 2019, Sincellus was appointed for the Syro-Malankara faithful entrusted to the Syro-Malabar Archieparchy of Kottayam.
From the report it looks as though a Syro Malankara Priest is appointed Auxiliary Bishop of a Syro Malabar Diocese.