Shlomo in HIS Holy Name.

We the St.Mary’s JSOC Parish in Baroda are struggling to have a place of worship of our own. During the past we had to run from pillar to post to get a place on lease to conduct the holy mass. We used a Methodist school, a CNI church, the community center of Catholic church etc. to conduct the holy services. Since 2003 we are using a prayer hall on the rooftop of our Vicar’s house as the place of worship. We are thankful to the honorary services of Rev..Fr.DR..C.P Varghese for his broad heartedness and love towards the church. Baroda is a fast growing city in the western belt. It is rich in culture and educational Institutions and also a hub of Engineering and Chemical Industries. Lot of our youngsters keep on coming to this city for jobs and trainings. Since we do not have a permanent church or institutions they tend to join the IOC churches. Unfortunately about 50% of the IOC church members are our people including the family members of our clergy. IOC have a big church of 500+ members, 4 chapels, 6 HS schools and other institutions where as we do not even have a chapel of ours. We are only a handful of people who stick to the true faith of the Holy church. Many had parted ways and joined Marthoma and RC churches. This is the situation in many outside Kerala cities. Whenever a wedding is to be conducted we run after the RC or Methodist people for sanctions to conduct the matrimony in their church.

With GOD’s mercy we have found a small place in the city and paid a small advance. Our Mumbai Diocese’s Metropolitan and Catholicose of India, H.B DR. Baselious Thomas I has issued an apostolic bull for raising the fund for acquiring the land and to have a small and beautiful church. Though a small parish, we have the permission to use the CNI cemetery. We conduct the Holy Eucharist on every alternate Sundays and on all Sundays during the great lent.

We conduct all the main feasts, have a Sunday School in the name of St.Athanasius Valiya Thirumeni to teach the theology and history of the church to our handful children, we have regular prayer meetings and Bible Quizes and participate in all the ecumenical activities. We had the opportunity to welcome H. E DR. Mor Themotheos Thomas and DR. Mor Severious Abraham in 2008. We also have a registered Charitable trust, ‘KARUNYA FOUNDATION, BARODA’ to provide educational, medical help etc. to the needy and poor. Since we all are parts of our Master’s body, every member / parish should be caring for the other. We have many wealthy parish churches who do the work in their vicinity / area only but certainly this is not the mission which our Lord have given to us. We request all the faithful and well wishers of the church to contribute towards the project to own and build our own place of worship in Baroda.

The cheques and DDs can be made in favor of ‘St. Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Baroda’ and send to Rev. Fr. DR. C.P Varghese Vicar, St. Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, ‘ANUGRAHA ‘, A-435, Saurabh Park, B/h Samta Flats, Subhanpura Baroda. Gujarat- 390023 Tel : 0265-2394417/ 09998004257.