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Bishop Sebastian Emmanuel Vayalil (28 January 1906 – 21
November 1986) was the first bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of
Palai, in Kerala, India. He was born at Palai, and took his B. A. Degree from
the Maharaja's College, Trivandrum in 1928. He had his ecclesiastical studies
at the St. Joseph's Ap. Seminary Mangalapuzha, Alwaye and was ordained priest
on 21 December 1935. He took his L.T. Degree from the Training College
Trivandrum in 1942. He was the Headmaster of St. Thomas Training School Palai,
till he was appointed the Bishop of Palai, on 25 July 1950.
He was consecrated Bishop by Eugene Cardinal Tisserent,
Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, on 9 November
1950 at St. Theresia's Church Rome and was installed in Palai Cathedral by the
Most Rev. Leo. P. Kierkels, the Apostolic Internuncio, on 4 January 1951.
Bishop Vayalil was a member of the Preliminary Commission instituted for the
Second Vatican Council to prepare the scheme for the section on 'Universities
and Seminaries'.
His Excellency's Sacerdotal Silver Jubilee was celebrated on
21 December 1960. The Holy Year 1975 was of special significance to the Eparchy
and to His Excellency as it coincided with its own Silver Jubilee and the
Silver Jubilee of the Episcopal Consecration of the Bishop.
Bishop Sebastian Vayalil supported the Missions and promoted
vocations. He founded the Missionary Society of St Thomas the Apostle in 1968
for organized missionary work in and outside India.
He attended all the four sessions of the council. Chicago's
De Paul university conferred upon him in 1966 the honorary Degree of Doctor of
Laws (L.L.D.) in recognition of his outstanding achievements as an educator. In
1969 he participated in the extra ordinary Synod of Bishops held in Rome.
After thirty years in charge of the diocese in 1980, he
requested the Holy See to relieve him from the pastoral Government of the
diocese. On the acceptance of his resignation he handed over the charge of the
diocese to his successor Mar Joseph Pallikaparampil on 25 March 1981.
In addition to the various pastoral and missionary
achievements, during his tenure the Eparchy stood first in the world with
families having the highest rate of priestly, religious and missionary
vocation. True to his motto "The Lord is my light”, he placed unbounded
trust in divine providence and worked untiringly for the people of God
committed to him.