St.Mary's Orthodox Cathedral Hauz Khas

Infobox Orthodox Church
show_name = Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church


caption = St.Mary
founder = St. Thomas the Apostle
independence = Apostolic Era
recognition = Oriental Orthodox
primate= His Holiness Mar Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos I
headquarters= Kottayam, Kerala
territory= India
possessions=
language=
population=
website= [http://www.malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/ Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]

History

St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral [http://smorthodoxcathedraldelhi.org/] , the first place of worship, owned by the (Malankara Orthodox Church) in the National capital of Delhi, and which celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the formal setting up of the Delhi parish, is a dream come true, of a small group of such Christians who had taken up residence in Delhi towards the second half of the last century. A peep into its origins and developments in over half a century of its existence would be rewarding.

Prior to independence there were very few Syrian Christians outside Kerala. With the opening up of opportunities of employment, after the middle of the last century, Keralites started going out in search of employment not only in their familiar world of commerce but also mostly in professional and government service. The inflow of Syrian Christians and other Keralites into Delhi steadily increased after independence.

Malankara Sabha

* [http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-7239884475673404089&hl=en Malankara Sabha History]

Becomes a Cathedral

Delhi Diocese was started in 1975. His Grace Dr. Paulos Mar Gregorios took charge of it in 1976. His formal enthronement was done in a fitting manner on 11 July 1976 by His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Mathews I, Catholicos of the East, assisted by other Metropolitans. St. Mary’s Orthodox Church being the principal church at the Headquarters of the Diocese assumed the new name of St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral in 1979 and continued to function as the Diocesan Headquarters. It was only in 1984 that the Delhi Orthodox Centre was formally declared open by Shri R. Venkataraman, the then Vice-President of India. The Cathedral played a prominent part in raising resources and building the Orthodox Centre.

The ‘mother parish’ has helped in and witnessed the growth of several parishes in and around Delhi during the last five decades. These are : Mar Gregorios Orthodox Church Janakpuri, St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Faridabad, St. John’s Orthodox Church, Mayur Vihar, St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Sarita Vihar, St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Ghaziabad, St. Basil Orthodox Church, Rohini, St.George's Orthodox Church, Dwaraka, St. Stephen’s Orthodox Church, Dilshad Garden, Mar Gregorios Orthodox Church, Noida, and Mar Gregorios Orthodox Church, Dharuhera.

The Cathedral has set up a Chapel in St. Paul’s School and built St. George Chapel in St. Mary’s Medical Centre in Aya Nagar.

St. Gregorios Church, Janakpuri stands on land purchased in its name by the Delhi Orthodox Syrian Church Society, causing embarrassment to the Society in Jankpuri, since they are unable to raise funds against the security of land and even to prove ownership for other purposes. Transfer of ownership between Societies is almost impossible, and, therefore, assistance of this type involving cross-holdings should be avoided in future.

St. Paul’s School

While the church building was under the final stage of construction, in 1967 itself a payment of Rs.10,141.53 was made to the DDA towards premium for the allotment of a plot of land for the school admeasuring 9817 square yards, in which the foundation stone of the school was laid on April 28, 1968 by His Grace Mathews Mar Athanasios, our then Metropolitan. In acknowledgement of a generous donation of Rs.10,000 from the estate of the late Rev. Fr. V.C. George, the school was declared as being run in his memory, despite his being not a founder or resource person. The setting up of the school was in fulfillment of the second objective of the Society, after the place of worship was built.St. Paul’s School, inaugurated in July 1968, has grown into a full-fledged Senior Secondary School, imparting value education to all students regardless of caste, creed or financial status or other extraneous considerations.Other ContributionsWe have participated substantially in the mission project at Mandavar, Sohna (Haryana) for community renewal and revival through provision of facilities for basic education, community health and economic security and provided land costing around rupees forty one lakhs.

St. Mary’s Medical Centre

A major step towards the fulfillment of the third objective, of setting up a health care facility, by the Society, was taken in 2001. On 22 April 2001, the foundation stone for a chapel, forming part of the medical centre, was laid by His Grace Job Mar Philoxenos, acting Metropolitan of Delhi Diocese, on a plot of land admeasuring 1500 square yards, and costing Rs. 24.51 lakhs, in Aya Nagar. Within a year, on April 25, 2002, this Chapel, named after St. George, was consecrated by His Grace Job Mar Philoxenos. The work on the portion pertaining to the first phase of the medical centre was inaugurated by the Honorable Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Sheila Dikshit, on August 18, 2002.