First Malayali Appointed Lay Theologian in Germany's Freiburg Archdiocese

KARLSRUHE, Germany, July 9, 2026: Pious Joseph Theruvathu, a 49-year-old Catholic from Kerala's Diocese of Kollam, has been appointed as a lay theologian in the Archdiocese of Freiburg, becoming the first Malayali to hold the pastoral position in the German Catholic Church.

The installation ceremony will take place on July 11 at St. Jodokus Church in Karlsruhe during a Mass to be presided over by Auxiliary Bishop Peter Birkhofer.

Theruvathu, a member of St. Joseph's Parish, Padappakkara, moved to Germany with his family from Italy in 2012. Since then, he has served in several parishes of the Archdiocese of Freiburg. Church authorities said his appointment recognises his pastoral service, theological formation and commitment to ministry.

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This year, the archdiocese will install nine lay theologians, with Theruvathu being the only non-German among them.

Born into a family deeply rooted in Catholic faith, Theruvathu is the youngest of ten children of the late Theruvathu Kunjachan Joseph and Barbara of Padappakkara, Kollam. His brother, Fr. Prasad Theruvathu, a member of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, previously served as Provincial of the Manjummel Province and as secretary for Dialogue and Ecumenism of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council. Three of his sisters are members of the Mission Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity, making five members of the family dedicated to Church ministry.

His wife, Sabi Crystal, is a nurse in Germany, and the couple has three children—Therese, Francisco and Barbara. Their eldest daughter serves as the leader of the parish acolytes.

Theruvathu completed his schooling at St. Joseph's School in Padappakkara before earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Kerala. He later obtained a master's degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a diploma in Religious Studies from the University of Würzburg in Germany.

Fluent in English, Italian and German, he ministers in Germany's multicultural Catholic communities.

Lay theologians play an increasingly important role in the German Catholic Church, where a decline in priestly vocations has led qualified lay men and women to assume wider pastoral responsibilities. Their ministry includes parish coordination, faith formation, preaching, pastoral counselling, visiting the sick and leading funeral services.

For his ministry, Theruvathu has chosen the motto, "Received in love – go forward with courage," inspired by St. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Members of the Malayali Catholic community in Germany have welcomed the appointment, describing it as a milestone for Indian Catholics in the diaspora and a sign of the growing contribution of lay faithful to the Church's mission in Europe.

By Catholic Connect Reporter