Pastor Mathew Kiliroor will retire on September 1, 2022. Photo: Archdiocese

Pastor Monsignor Dr. Mathew Kiliroor was born on March 21, 1947 in the Indian state of Kerala, the third of eight children in a Christian family. You may have noticed the small cross on Father Kiliroor’s lapel, reminiscent of a lotus flower. It is the Thomas Cross, the symbol of the Indian Thomas Christians, who refer to the Apostle Thomas and have been present in India since the 1st century AD. Thomas Christians are part of the Catholic Church.

Mathew Kiliroor studied philosophy and theology at the minor seminary of his home diocese of Changanacherry and at the regional seminary of Vadavathoor (Kottayam) and was ordained a priest on December 18, 1972 by Mar Antony Padiyara, Archbishop of Changanacherry. Thus, on December 18, 2022, he will celebrate his 50th birthday as a priest.

After four years of chaplaincy at St. Mary’s Athirampuzha and Changanacherry Cathedral, he came to the Bishopric of Changanacherry with various duties. In 1978, his archbishop sent him to study at the Coady International Institute at St. Francis University, Nova Scotia, Canada. After his return, he became director of Caritas in his home diocese.

From that time on, he still had close ties with institutions for the disabled run by nuns in Kerala, such as Mercy Home and House of Hope. In 1982, Father Kiliroor began studying for a doctorate in theology at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. During his studies he came into contact with the Archdiocese of Bamberg. It was there that the idea of ​​cooperation between his native Indian diocese of Changanacherry and the Franconian diocese of Bamberg matured.

It started in 1988 with two priests in Willersdorf and Troschenreuth. In the meantime, the pastoral cooperation program between the archdioceses of Bamberg and Changanacherry has grown to 12 priests and 2 other priests work in the diocese of Regensburg and 3 priests in the diocese of Münster. Father Kiliroor is the coordinator of this collaboration.

What a change for Mathew Kiliroor; from the hot and bustling tropical Kerala – translated as “country of coconut palms” – to the Franconian village of Troschenreuth, where he took his first pastorate in the parish of St. Martin in 1988. Over the years, Mathew Kiliroor has found a second home in Franconia and his heart beats for Franconia and for Kerala.

After 11 years of service in Troschenreuth, Pastor Kiliroor moved to the parish of St. Josef in Baiersdorf in 1999. During his 23 years as a pastor in Baiersdorf, Mathew Kiliroor made many contacts and accompanied many locals of Baiersdorf throughout their life as pastors. The dignified celebration of religious services has always been particularly important to him. He also encouraged pilgrimages and made them popular again. As in Troschenreuth, where a kindergarten was established on his initiative, the kindergartens in Baiersdorf were also close to his heart. The former St. Josef kindergarten was transformed into a crèche and the former St. Marien parish center in Haguenau was transformed into a crèche. In addition, the renovation of the presbytery and the roof of the Saint-Joseph church was carried out during his mandate. As you can see in our parish garden, Mathew Kiliroor loves flowers.

Since 2012, Mathew Kiliroor has also been pastor of the parish of Maria Heimsuchung in Bubenreuth with the subsidiary parish of St. Elisabeth in Möhrendorf. He also tackled the renovation of the kindergarten in Bubenreuth.

On March 21, 2022, Dr. Mathew Kiliroor his 75th birthday. It is amazing how he handles this heavy workload at an age when others have long since retired. And as if that were not enough, he also works as a pastor for the Indian sisters in Bamberg and takes care of the young priests from Kerala when they come to the diocese of Bamberg and take their first steps in pastoral work in Franconia. For his services to the cooperation between Bamberg and Changanacherry, he was appointed Spiritual Advisor by the then Bishop Braun and in 2014 he was appointed Monsignor by Pope Francis. Mathew Kiliroor is thus “Honorary Chaplain of His Holiness”.

The Archbishop of Bamberg has now released Mathew Kiliroor from his duties as pastor on September 1, 2022 and he can take his well-deserved retirement. The Archdiocese of Bamberg wishes him the best, health and God’s blessing. May God reward him for his dedicated service as a pastor.