Mathew Arackal

Bishop Mar Mathew Arackal (born 10 December 1944) is the Bishop of the Syro Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kanjirappally. He is also the Chairman of the Syro-Malabar Church Commission for the Laity and an active champion in issues of the environment and the society.

Bishop Arackal was born at Erumely, in the Kottayam District of Kerala State, India. He studied at St. Thomas High School, Erumely, and St Berchman's College, Changanacherry and then pursued his priestly studies at St. Thomas Minor Seminary, Changanacherry, and at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam.

Mathew Arackal successfully completed philosophical and theological studies at the age of 25 and was ordained to the priesthood on 13 March 1971. During 1971-1974, he served as the Assistant Vicar of Amboori Church, Director of Samaritan Hospital, Amboori and the Estates Manager for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery. In 1974 he was appointed Assistant Procurator of the Archdiocese of Changanacherry. During that time, he helped to establish the first Labour Co-operative Society in Kerala.

When the Eparchy of Kanjirappally was erected in 1977, he was appointed the Vicar of Peermedu and Murinjapuzha. In 1980, he started the Peermedu Development Society (PDS) and served as its Executive Director till 2001. PDS's purpose was to protect the interests of the aboriginal tribes in the mountain ranges as well as their environment. Bishop Arackal is an advocate of organic farming methods and organic food crops. He helped found a charitable trust to arrange gainful employment for women and the marginalised sections of the community. He also established the High Range Medical Centre (HRMC) at Pothupara, Idukki, Sahyadri Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals at Kuttikanam, two major residential training centres for rural development with research wings and lab facilities in Bio technology and Eco-farming. He initiated the establishment of Marian College, Kuttikkanam in 1995.

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