In view of assessing the wishes of the brothers on the question of division of the St. Joseph Province, Br. Anil Sequeira, Definitor General conducted a visitation of the province during November-December 1997. Yet again on 21st November 1998 Br. Ruwa’ichi, Definitor General, made a visitation of the province to ascertain the need for bifurcation of the province and later it was decided to divide the province into two separate provinces.
On 25th October 1999 St Joseph Province was divided into two units, i.e., St. Thomas Province (comprising the Arch-dioceses of Ernakulam-Angamaly and Thrissur, Dioceses of Palakkad and Irinjalakuda), and St. Joseph Province (comprising the Arch-dioceses of Changanassery and Thalassery and the Dioceses of Pala, Kanjirappilly, Kottayam, Kothamangalam, Mananthavady and Thamarassery). Br. Francis Christy Vattakuzhy was appointed the first Provincial of St. Thomas Province, Brs. Justinian Cherupallikat, David Francis Peramangalam, Hilary Chirienkandath, and Paul Dayanand Plackal as its definitors.