Matthew Makil

Mathew Makil was the second Vicar Apostolic and the first indigenous Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Changanacherry, which is the Syro Malabar Archeparchy of Changanacherry today. Mathew Makil was also the first Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Kottayam, which is the Knanaya Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam today. In 1896, he became the Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Changanacherry, and in 1911, when a new Vicariate Apostolic of Kottayam was constituted exclusively for the Knanaya Catholics, Mathew Makil was transferred to Kottayam as its first Vicar Apostolic. He died at Kottayam on 26 January 1914, and was declared a Servant of God on 26 January 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, and Venerable on 22 May 2025 with the approval of Pope Leo XIV.