History

Good Shepherd Institute of Philosophy functions in Good Shepherd Major Seminary which is the third one owned by the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church. The seminary was canonically erected at Kunnoth on 1st September 2000 by His Beatitude Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, through the Decree No. 2336/2000. The Seminary is governed and subjected to the authority and control of the Major Archbishop and the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church. It is situated 6 kilometres away from the town, Iritty, in the civil District of Kannur in North Kerala, in the plot of land (donated by the Archeparchy of Tellicherry) which is on the high banks of the Iritty River.

The Seminary and Institute were formally inaugurated on 16 June 2001 functioned in temporary buildings. Adhering faithfully to the oriental character of the Mother Church, the whole training programme offered in this Institute aims at the goal of forming students to become “true shepherds of souls, after the example of Our Lord Jesus Christ, teacher, priest, and shepherd” (OT 4). The Synod of Bishops had a plan that visualized a steady growth of the Institute that would complete its full structure in seven years. Accordingly, the foundation stone for the new Seminary building was laid on 3 August 2002. The Philosophy block was blessed on 18 June 2003 by His Beatitude Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil. The first batch of Philosophy students completed their training in the year 2003-2004. Every year around 25 students complete their training in the Institute.