Fr. Jacob Vellian

Priest of the Archeparchy of Kottayam, India, of the Syro-Malabar Church. Monsignor. Per a USCCB Advisory, Vellian was working in Kalamazoo temporarily in 1973-1974. He had been in active ministry in various dioceses in the U.S. in the recent past. The Diocese said in Fall 2010 that it had recently received an allegation of sexual abuse of a female minor by Vellian. The Review Board deemed the allegations credible. Vellian’s accuser said she told the Diocese in 2002. Also, she said Fr. Leroy right, later credibly accused, walked in on them during an assault in 1973, then yelled at her for being there. In early 2010 Vellian was found by his victim to be director in San Jose CA of Knanaya Catholic Mission. She contacted the Kalamazoo Diocese. Vellian was shown in 5/2010 on the Mission’s website to have retired 5/1/2010. The woman filed a criminal complaint 5/14/2010; no prosecutions due to the statute of limitations. Kalamazoo Bishop Bradley sent the case to the Vatican which declined a penal trial, but said Vellian should be monitored. Archbishop of Kottayam, Mar Matthew MoolakkattIn, told Bradley Vellian was not in active ministry and posed no risk. In 12/2010 a woman alleged Vellian abused her 11-year-old daughter as a visiting priest in a Watervliet church around 1967. In 9/2011 Vellian was living in Kerala India’s Kottayam district, in a Kaduthuruthi seminary. In 2013 Vellian was found by his first victim to come forward to be in public ministry. Bradley again wrote to Moolakkattin. Vellian was found again to be active in 2014. Per Mooakkattin, Vellian was in poor health and restricted mostly to a priests’ retirement home. Investigated by the MI Attorney General. Charged in 5/2019 with rape of a 15-year-old girl in the early 1970s. The Attorney General was to seek extradition from India. In 2020 a woman reported that Vellian molested her daughter, age 13, around 1971 or 1972. Vellian reportedly died in India in 12/2022, awaiting extradition. Included in 4/2024 on the Kalamazoo diocese’s list of those banned from working with children. Had been forbidden to function as a priest in the diocese. Included in the MI Attorney General’s 5/22/24 Kalamazoo report.