Our patron, the Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thomas, was born in the village of Vadaserikkara, in the district of Pathanamthitta, on April 20, 1952. He completed his pre-degree at Mar Ivanios College, studying economics, history, and political science. Later, Most Rev. Dr. Mar Thomas earned a Master’s Degree in English.

In June 1982, he was appointed as the local manager and boarding rector of Sarvodaya School, and local manager of St. John’s High School. Starting in 1986, he served as a lecturer in economics at Mar Ivanios, and after six years of seminary study, he was appointed Ecclesiastical District Vicar of Trivandrum and the Vicar of St. Mary’s Metropolitan Church, Pattom.

While working as a lecturer at Mar Ivanios College, Most Rev. Mar Thomas began researching the “Economics of Education” at the University of Kerala and received his doctorate in 1997. He joined the faculty of Education at Mar Theophilos Training College, Trivandrum in 1996, and a year later, he became the principal of his alma mater for 10 years.

In 1998, he won a seat at Kerala University, and the following year he became a member of the Board of Studies of Education and a faculty member in the Education Department at the University of Kerala. His additional appointments have included roles on the Government of Kerala’s School Curriculum Committee, the NCTE South Zone Expert Committee for Bangalore, the Vice President of Council for Teacher Education (CTE) Kerala chapter, Malankara Catholic Catechism Text Book Committee, and the Principal’s Council of Kerala.

Pope John Paul II appointed Most Rev. Mar Thomas the Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum and Apostolic Visitator to North America and Europe in January 2005. In April 2010, he assumed the role of Earchial Bishop of Bathery.