A Growing Community - St. Mother Teresa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is Filled with Joy! #SyroMalabar
St. Mother Teresa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is a Mission in Canada under Syro-Malabar apostolic exarchate, Mississagua. The Church celebrated its 3rd Anniversary as a Parish in Ottawa. The parish is continually growing with approximately 300 faithful. Many young families are very involved in the parish. The youth presence during the celebration was very large. This blossoming Catholic community is full of joy and welcomes all who come to visit. On the parish anniversary day there were also several Confirmation and 1st Communion candidates who were blessed by Bishop Jose.
History of the Parish:
As per the request of Bishop Jose Kalluvelil and the community, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa decided to permit the use of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church for weekly Sunday Mass and catechism classes for the congregation. On June 26th, 2016, the parish was officially erected under the Syro-Malabar Exarchate and appointed Fr. George Danavelil as the first pastor.
What are Syro-Malabar Catholics?
Syro-Malabar Catholics belong to the Eastern Syro-Oriental Rite, which is in full communion with Rome. The Syro-Malabar Church traces its existence to the arrival of the Apostle Thomas in India in the year 52AD.
Location and Mass Time
The parish is known formally St. Mother Teresa Syro-Malabar Catholic Parish of Ottawa and it is under the spiritual guidance of Fr Boby Joy Muttathuvalayil. The Parish holds its services (Qurbana) at 5pm in the Ukrainian St. John the Baptist Catholic Shrine of Ottawa. It is located at
Fr. Boby Joy Muttathuvalayil is a priest of the eparchy of Kothamangalam, Kerala, was ordained on 27 December 2010. He served the eparchy as assistant parish priest in various parishes.He is working as the Pastor of St. Mother Teresa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church since June 2017. Families assemble every Sunday to celebrate the Holy Qurbana (Mass), to attend the Catechism and to engage in social and cultural activities.
History of Syro-Malabar Catholics in Canada:
In 1976, Fr. George Panikulam (current Apostolic Nuncio to Uruguay) celebrated the first Holy Mass in the Syro-Malabar rite in Ottawa.
With the establishment of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago in 2001, His Excellency Bishop Jacob Angadiayath, bishop of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago, was appointed as the Apostolic Visitator to the Syro-Malabar faithful in Canada. During his visits, the Apostolic visitator began the ecclesiastical organisation process to set up communities in Canada. On August 6, 2015, His Holiness Pope Francis erected the Apostolic Exarchate for Syro-Malabar faithful in Canada, with its See in Mississauga (Ontario), and has appointed Bishop Jose Kalluvelil, as the first Apostolic Exarch. The new Exarchate has 25 parishes and missions.
Information above was compiled from the parish website: http://syromalabarottawa.ca/
*********The Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, imparted his blessing on the Parishioners for the anniversary:
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