The Very Reverend of a cathedral, whether a dean or a provost, is usually styled as "The Very Reverend" regardless of whether the priest is also the rector of the cathedral parish, or whether the cathedral is a parish church. In the Episcopal Church USA, the dean of a seminary or divinity school is also styled in this form, as is the priest who is either appointed by the local bishop or elected by fellow priests as the leader of a deanery, which is a geographic subdivision of a diocese. In some Episcopal dioceses convocation is used in lieu of deanery. The deans
Tharakan (title) are so called because they were the recipients of "Tharaku" or writ of social previlege. Tharakan (title) Tharakan () is an honorific hereditary title which was bestowed upon a handful prominent Saint Thomas Christian families in the erst-while Kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin, currently being the State of Kerala in India. This title of "Tharakan" was given by the Maharaja of Travancore, the Maharaja of Cochin and by the Rajas of the smaller Kingdoms to Nasrani Christian families for their services and contributions. The families which held the title had certain specific monetary obligation to their ruler, i.e. they paid