On 1st January 2005 ten Deacons hailing from ten different parishes of the Archdiocese were ordained Priests by the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church His Beatitude Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil. Hither to the practice was that the Deacons receive the priestly ordination in the respective parishes. From this year on priestly ordination will be given to the Deacons in the Cathedral Basilica. The new priests offered first Holy Mass on Sunday 2nd January 2005 in their own parishes.