St. Gregorios Orthodox Syrian Church, Mysore

While we discuss about the history of St. Gregorios Orthodox Syrian Church in Mysore, we have to necessarily discuss about the Malankarites, who migrated to the city of Mysore early on.

            Mysore was the Capital city of the erstwhile Princely state of Mysore.  After independence, the importance of Mysore was on the wane and Bangalore started growing as a leading industrial city.   Naturally, the exodus of people to Mysore in search of livelihood from the neighbouring states especially Kerala was slow paced.  In the early fifties Keralites’ preferred destinations were Madras and Bangalore.  Mysore was the least sought after place for them.  The few people, who opted for the city, were employed by Railways, CFTRI, DFRL, Parry & Co., Wesley Press, KR Hospital, Mission Hospital and some of the Plantations of nearby areas. Educational Institutions like Mysore University, St. Philomina’s College and National Institute of Engineering also attracted some of the Malayalees.  The Chamundi Curing Works factory at Mysore was purchased by the Manamel family during early fifties.  This necessitated two of their family members, viz. Mr. M.C. Cherian and Mr. M.C. Thampy shifting their residence to Mysore.  Later-on Mr. M.C. Mathews also shifted his residence from Calicut to Mysore.  This factory also employed some of the Malankarites alongwith the local people.  Apart from this, a few Malankarites  established their business enterprises in Mysore.  Prominent amongst them were Mysore Tyres of Mr. V.J. Abraham, Rubber Re-treading Factory of Mr. Mammen Abraham  (Mamachen) and Kings Coffee Works of Mr. N. I. Mathai.

            By the year 1953, the local residents of Syrian Christians started relentlessly exploring the possibilities of forming a congregation for conducting Holy Qurbana on Sundays.  As a result, on 21st February, 1954 Rev. Fr. Thykadavil Geevarghese came to Mysore and conducted a Holy Qurbana at the St. Berthalomeos Church, Mysore.  Quite a good gathering of believers attended the mass and the same was an encouraging sign for regular services.  It was then decided by the Syrian Christians, who attended the mass that a congregation should be formed for arranging regular services.  Accordingly the Syrian Christians of Mysore City belonging to Orthodox, Marthomite, and CSI convened a joint meeting on the 24th February, 1954 in the house of Mr. O.M. Mathews, who was the Secretary of the Maharaja of Mysore.  In the meeting they discussed about the ways and means of conducting Malayalam services (Holy Qurbana) for the benefit of Syrian Christians of different denominations, who were resident in and around the city of Mysore.   Ms M.C. Cherian, Thomas M. Varghese, P.T. Thomas, V.J. Abraham, C. Thomas Mathew, and O.M. Mathews attended the meeting and to begin with they decided to form a Congregation called ‘United Syrian Church, Mysore City’.

            Subsequently Ms M.C. Thampy,  M.C. Markose,  Mathew Varki,  Mammen Abraham,  K.U. Chummar,  Saramma Varghese,  C.C. John,  Abraham Lukose,  Thankamma Thomas, C.G. Easo,  Korula,  Sam George,  John Thomas,  K.V. Paulose,  P.T. Daniel, C.O. Mammen, V.A. Abraham, Dr. P.P. Kurian and some others joined the congregation.     After about six months of joint activities, on 15th August, 1954, the Orthodox group and the Marthomite group separated themselves and the CSI members were given the option of joining either one of the group according to their individual choice.  The Orthodox group formed a new congregation called ‘The Jacobite Syrian Christian Congregation, Mysore City’.  However, many of the activities were continued to be jointly arranged and for the first time the Christmas Carol was jointly conducted during the month of December, 1954.  Subsequent to the separation, the Orthodox congregation started conducting monthly Holy Qurbana at the Wesley Church, Mysore.  Initially Rev. Fr. Thykadavil Geevarghese, Rev. Fr. P.V. Kuriakose, Rev. Fr. V. Thomas, Rev. Fr. Yohannan, Rev. Fr. Thomas Moothadam, Rev. Fr. J. Paulose, Rev. Fr. Daniel Thottamattom, Rev. Fr. T.P. Peter, Rev. Fr. Simon Mathew, Rev. Fr. Ninan, Rev. Fr. P.I. Thomas, and Rev. Fr. Olikkal Mathews had conducted the monthly services on a regular basis.  During this period the Orthodox Metropolitans viz. H.G. Mar Severios (on 03.05.1954) and H.G. Mar Theodosius (on 06.03.1955) had visited Mysore and celebrated Holy Qurbana at the Wesley Church.

            During the year 1963, Rev. Fr. P.V. Kuriakose, Pullakudiyil, Keezhillam was appointed as the Assistant Vicar at St. Mary’s Church, Jalahally, Bangalore.  He was also given the responsibility to conduct Holy Qurbana at Mysore on alternate Sundays every month by the Diocesan Metropolitan for Outside Kerala.   Rev. Fr. K.P. Thomas, Rev. Fr. K.O. Jacob, Rev. Fr. A.V. Varghese, Rev. Fr. Alex Kurambil, and Rev. Fr. K.P. Mathew had also conducted Holy Qurbana at the Wesley Church during this period.

            By the year 1964, the Orthodox congregation felt the dire need of having their own place to establish a Church.  Thus in the General Body Meeting held at the office of Mysore Tyres,  a Church Building Committee was formed for the first time under the Chairmanship of Mr. M.C. Cherian.  By this time, Ms T. M. Punnose,  K.T. Joseph, P.V. Kurian, P.K. Mathews, Jacob Thomas, Dr. Eapen Thomas, Thomas Barsoma, K.T. Jacob, K.T. Cherian, C.K. Paul, T.C. Paulose, Koshy George, K.C. Thomas, C.C. Pothen, Paul George, Mr. K.O. Kuriakose and many others also joined the congregation and started actively participating in all its programmes alongwith the existing members. By this time the Orthodox Congregation had a membership strength of about 35 permanent families and about 60 members as temporary including the students community.  The Diocesan Metropolitans, H.G. Mar Osthatheos and H.G. Mar Dionysius had visited the Mysore Congregation during this period.

            During the year 1964, the Diocesan Metropolitan for outside Kerala elevated the Mysore Syrian Christian Congregation to a Parish vide Kalpana No. 39964.  Subsequently  vide Kalpana No. 40064, Rev. Fr. G. John was appointed as its permanent Vicar.  Since he was also in-charge of the Orthodox Syrian Church at Siddapur, South Coorg, Holy Qurbana was being conducted on alternate Sundays only at the Wesley Church, Mysore.  The Prayer Meetings were also conducted regularly at the Mission Hospital Chapel from the year 1964.  The Sunday school too was started on a low key basis during the period.

            On 15th June, 1964, H.H. Moran Mar Ignatius Yakoub III, the Patriarch of Antioch (the Antiochene Patriarch, who had been recognized by the Malankara Church in the reconciliation and mutual acceptance Accord of 1958), visited the Mysore Parish and a grand reception was accorded to him at the Wesley Church.  He was accompanied by five Metropolitans including H.G. Mathews Mar Athanasius, the Outside Kerala Diocesan Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church (Later H.H. Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews-I, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan).  On behalf of the Mysore City Administration, the President of the Municipality garlanded the dignitaries and welcomed them to the city of Mysore.  The Vicar of the Mysore Parish, Rev. Fr. G. John, the Official Reception Committee Chairman, Mr. M.C. Cherian and the members of the Managing Committee of the Parish had made elaborate arrangements for the reception of the Patriarch and other Metropolitans at Mysore.  Representing the other Churches, the Catholic Bishop of Mysore, the CSI Bishop and the members of the Marthoma Church and their Vicar and a large number of people had attended the reception meeting held at the Wesley Church Guild Hall.

            During the year 1965, the Diocesan Metropolitan directed to change the name of the Church as ‘Orthodox Syrian Church’ in place of ‘Jacobite Syrian Church’ as the same was a misnomer and accordingly all the relevant records and Bank accounts were duly corrected.  On the 30th April, 1965, H.G. Mathews Mar Athanasius, the Diocesan Metropolitan for Outside Kerala, paid his official visit to the Mysore Parish.  The reception committee and the members of the Church had accorded a warm welcome to His Grace at the Wesley Church Guild Hall.

            In the year 1967, Rev. Fr. Dr. P.C. Eapen joined the Regional Institute of Education, Mysore and became a permanent resident of Mysore.  His presence in Mysore made the Orthodox Syrian Christians jubilant as they could avail his masterly guidance and scholarly advises on a regular basis.  Apart from this, they were able to conduct Holy Qurbana on all the Sundays as Rev. Fr. Dr. PC Eapen conducted mass at the Church at Karunapuram, Mysore on first and third Sundays of every month regularly.

            On the 25th of February, 1968, the members of St. Mary’s Church, Jalahally, Bangalore led by their Vicar, Rev. Fr. Lasser visited the Mysore Parish for a Joint Fellowship Meeting and Holy Qurbana.  A Holy ‘Muninmel Qurbana’ was celebrated for the first time at the Wesley Church, Mysore on the occasion.  On the 30th August, 1969, H.G. Yuhanon Mar Severios, the Metropolitan of Cochin Diocese visited the Mysore Parish and on his honour a combined Christian Fellowship Meeting was arranged with the Catholic Bishop of Mysore, H.G. Fernandes having attended the Meeting as Guest of Honour and a number of Dignitaries from different Denominations also attended the function held at the Wesley Church Guild Hall.

            In the year 1969, a new Church Building Committee was formed with Mr. M.C. Cherian as its Vice President, Rev. Fr. Dr. PC Eapen as Convenor, Mr. T.V. Mathew as Joint Convenor, Mr. P.K. Mathew as Treasurer, Mr. V.J. Abraham, Mr. C.G. Easo, Mr. C.K. Paul, Mrs. M.C. Cherian, and Miss Saramma Varghese as its members.  This committee started working with added vigour in order to build its own Church in Mysore.  Mr. M.C. Cherian offered about 1.75 acres of land nearby Ms Chamundi Curing Works, KRS Road, Mysore, but since the same was agricultural land, the conversion of the property for changed land use was time consuming, expensive and cumbersome process. It was, therefore, decided to buy an appropriate property within the city limit for the construction of the Church building.

            On the 7th November, 1971, the Parish Day was celebrated for the first time at the Wesley Church, under the able guidance of the Vicar, Rev. Fr. Joseph Mankidy, Rev. Fr. Dr. PC Eapen and the Celebration Committee Chairman, Mr. V.J. Abraham.  In the Parish Day celebration a raffle was conducted as part of the fund raising activity.  The customary auction sale was also arranged and all the members of the Parish enthusiastically attended all the programmes on the occasion.  It was also unanimously decided to celebrate the Parish Day on the first Sunday of November every year in memory of the Saint of Malankara, the St. Gregorios of Parumala.

            During the year 1974, a property at Government Guest House Road, Nazarbad, Mysore belonging to the Ceylon and Indian General Mission was identified and an area of about 5,000 square feet was purchased from them on 18th April, 1974 in favour of His Holiness the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan represented by Rev. Fr. Dr. P.C. Eapen.  Subsequently on 27th May, 1975 about 1465 square feet area of property adjacent to the above property was also purchased from the Church of South India Trust Association in favour of the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, represented by Rev. Fr. Dr. P.C. Eapen.

            The Church Building Committee under the Vice Presidentship of Mr. M.C. Cherian was further reorganized with Mr. V.J. Abraham as Convenor, Mr. M.C. Mathews as Convenor for Church Parsonage, Mr. Raju Alex as Construction Supervising Engineer, Mr. C. C. Pothen as Work Supervisor,  Mr. J.C. Mathews as General Organiser and Mr. K.C. Eapen as Auditor.  The Foundation Stone for the Church was laid on the 8th September, 1974 by H.G. Thomas Mar Thimotheos, the Metropolitan of Malabar Diocese (Later Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Didymus-I).  The actual Church construction work was started on the 23rd June, 1975.  The progress of the construction work was on a faster pace with Mr. M.C. Thampy having donated the entire requirements of the Bricks, Mr. M.C. Cherian, having donated the entire Truss work of the Church Building, Mr. M. C. Mathews having donated the entire requirements of wood and wood work and all the other members of the Parish having donated their mite for the speedy completion of the Church building.  The first Holy Qurbana was celebrated in the new Church, which is dedicated in the Holy and blessed name of St. Gregorios of Parumala on the 4th April, 1976.

            On the 14th of October, 1977, the Southern Regional Conference of Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Students Movement of India was held at Mysore, which was hosted by the Mysore Parish.  The three day programme was arranged under the able guidance of Mr.M.C. Mathews, the General Convenor, Dr. Thomas Eapen, Joint Convenor, Rev. Fr. K.J. George (Kannoth), the Vicar and Rev. Fr. Dr. P.C. Eapen, Advisor.  On the occasion H.G. Philipose Mar Theophilose and H.G. Geevarghese Mar Osthatheos were accorded a splendid and impressive reception at Mysore.  About 400 delegates from all over the world attended the conference, which was a grand success.

            The new Church was consecrated and dedicated by H.G. Zachariah Mar Dionysius, the Metropolitan of Madras Diocese of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church on the 31st March, 1979 and 1st April, 1979 assisted by Rev. Fr. Dr. P.C. Eapen and Rev. Fr. K.J. George, the Vicar.  A ‘Holy Muninmel Qurbana’ was celebrated on the occasion with H.G. Mar Dionysius being the Chief Celebrant and Rev. Fr. Dr. P.C. Eapen and Rev. Fr. K.J. George being the co-celebrants.