St.Elias Syrian Orthodox Simhasana Church
(Service at St. Matthias Church)
Vepery
Founded in
1936
by
Mor Yulios Elias Quro
(Third Patriarchal Delegate to Malankara)
During the visit of H H Patriarch Moran Mor
Ignatius Zakka I to our Church in 1982
Photographs of Aboon Mor Basalious Paulose II
Catholicose of East (1975-1996)
A Fellowship of Syrian Christians in Madras growing together as one coherent Body of Christ.
A throwback photo of 1939 during a church organized trip to Ernavur Beach
Brief History: The Syrian Christian community in Chennai (Formerly Madras) was active from AD 1930's onwards. Both the Jacobite and Orthodox factions (Bava Kakshi & Methran Kakshi) used to attend the Holy Qurbono in the Jacobite Syrian liturgy, at Madras Syrian Church (Service at Holy Immanuel Church, Vepery) which used to be held there with the permission of the Anglican Bishop. The service continued untill 1935 when the prevailing church circumstances resulted in a faction taking control and the Madras Syrian Church was renamed as Orthodox Syrian Church.
Annual Report of 1946
The resultant split required the Jacobite community which had pledged allegiance to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to find a new place for worship service. In view of this development, the Jacobite community conducted a conference at the Danish Mission Centenary Hall, Broadway (CMS) on 11th October 1936. This meeting was presided by Mr. C Vareeth and Dr K C Joseph. A committee comprising the following members were formed in 1936. The office bearers were Mr. M C Thomas (Mannamkuzhi) as President, Mr. K O Kuriakose as Secretary and Mr. P I Mathew as Treasurer. Mr. A C Varghese, Dr. K J Abraham, Mr. C P Varghese, Mr. M P Joshua, Mr. A K Thomas, Mrs. A Jacob, Mrs. M V Varghese & Mrs. A T Itoop as the committee members.
The committee sought the advice of Mor Yulios Elias Quro, the Patriarchal Delegate to Malankara, who in turn approached the Anglican Bishop of Madras and the latter permitted us to use St. Matthias Church for the service and thus we started the Holy Eucharist Service in St.Matthias Church in December 1936.
A Group Photo taken on 14/02/2021 after the Church Cultural Programme
List of Vicars Served in the Church:
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Our Church is truly blessed to have many esteemed fathers who served as Vicars in our parish. Some of them are;
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1936-1939 Rev. Fr. C M Thomas (Later on became H G Thomas Mor Osthatheos whose brother's grandson is Mor Osthatheos Isaac, currently serving as the Diocese Bishop of Mylapore)
1939-1940 Rev. Fr. P J Paulose. Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem I Barsoum ordained Paulose P. J. with the name Mor Philoxenus on 19 October 1952 at Homs, Syria. On 7 September 1975, Ignatius Jacob III consecrated Philoxenus as Catholicos of the East. On 14 September 1980, he consecrated Ignatios Zakka 1 ,Archbishop of Baghdad as the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. This was the first time in the long history of the Patriarchate of Antioch that a Catholicos from Malankara was officiated at the consecration ceremony of a Patriarch. He also ordained six bishops for the Malankara church.
1940-1941 Rev. Fr. O C Varghese
1941-1943 Rev. Fr. T J Abraham
1943-1944 Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese Vayiliparambil (Later on became H G Gheevarghese Mor Gregorious)
1944-1946 Rev. Fr. Philip Pallichira
1946-1951 Rev. Fr. K O Thomas
1951-1954 Rev Fr. E O Mathews
1954-1956 Rev Fr. George Kottalil
1956-1958 Rev Fr. P M Jacob
1959-1961 Rev. Fr. T J Abraham (Silver Jubilee commemorated on completion of 25 years)
Rev. Fr. Daniel Achen
Rev. Fr. Joseph Karipayil
1968-1971 Rev. Fr. C M Thomas
Fr. Karipayil
Fr. Abraham
Fr. T M Mathews (later on became Very Rev. Fr. T M Mathews Corepiscopa (St. Mary's JSO Church, Kelambakkam)
Fr. Yacob John
Fr. Johns Abraham
Photograph of H G Thomas Mor Osthatheos
who had served as our Vicar
