• Source: UK, Europe and Africa Malankara Orthodox Diocese

The Diocese of UK, Europe and Africa is one of the 32 dioceses of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church with its headquarters in London.




History


The roots of this parish can be traced back to the 1930s. Abu Alexios of the Bethany monastery (later Bishop Mar Theodosius) was the first priest of the church ever to visit the UK. Canon John Douglas and others formed an association called 'The Friends of the Syrian Church' to render help to the ancient church in India by offering higher theological training; Abu Alexios of the Bethany monastery (later Bishop Mar Theodosius) was the first candidate chosen. He participated in the Jubilee celebrations of the Community of Resurrection, Mirfield and made connections with several religious communities in UK.
The second priest who came to UK under this scheme was Fr. T.V.John of U.C. college Alwaye in 1934. He conducted Holy Qurbana in Malayalam in Kings College chapel. Several others came to the UK under this programme. Catholicose, Baselios Geevarghese II visited in 1937, accompanied by Ramban C M Thomas (later Metropolitan Dionysius) and Abu Alexios for the second "Faith and Order Conference" of the World Council of Churches in Edinburgh. After the conference Ramban C. M. Thomas stayed with the Cowley fathers for studies in Oxford and conducted services.
In the 1950s and 60s the Malayalee Christian community had grown gradually, however, services were held only occasionally by visiting priests and prelates. They include Metropolitan Mathews Coorilos (Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews II), Fr. K Philipose (later Metropolitan Theophilus), Fr. C. T. Eapen, Fr. P. S. Samuel, and others. Fr.P.V.Joseph (late Mar Pachomios), Fr.Yohannan (late metropolitan Mar Athanasius) came to UK for higher studies and served the community. Fr. Philipose visited the congregation on several occasions during his trips to Europe in connection with the various programs of the World Council of Churches, and later became bishop Mar Theophilus. Dn. K.G.George (later bishop Geverghese Mar Ivanios) followed the footsteps and stayed with Cawley Fathers in Oxford for six years. All these years services were conducted in Indian YMCA chapel, Fitzroy Square, London and all the Malayalee Christians participated irrespective of their denominational differences.
In early 1970s Geverghese Mar Osthathios organized the St. Gregorios fellowship during one of his pastoral visits. The community grew in size with the arrival of more migrants; in 1974 they split on denominational grounds. Members of Orthodox Syrian Church and Marthoma Church formed separate congregations and commenced worshipping separately.
When the diocese outside Kerala was re-organized, diocesan metropolitan Thomas Mar Makarios visited the UK church in 1976 and declared as a parish with St. Gregorios of Parumala as patron saint; Fr. Abraham Aluckal (later bishop Mar Severios) was appointed as its first vicar. In the 1979 re-organization of the dioceses, the London parish came under the diocese of Delhi under the pastoral care of Paulos Mar Gregorios, who visited the parish on a regular basis. When the new diocese of Europe, UK and Canada was formed in 1993, this parish came under the jurisdiction of Thomas Mar Makarios. With the establishment of the new diocese of UK, Europe and Africa, Mathews Mar Thimothios took charge as the Metropolitan of the London parish.
Fr. Mathews M. Daniel, Philipose Mar Eusebius, Kuriakose Cor-Episcopa, O. Thomas, Geverghese Mar Coorilose, Yakoob Mar Elias (Fr. V. M. James), Fr. Yohannan Ramban, Fr. Skariah Ramban, and Fr. Abraham Thomas served in succession as vicars of the parish. Services were held in London since 1978 in the Church of England St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe Church, and since 2005 in St. Gregorios Church Brockley, London.




Since 2009


The Diocese of UK, Europe and Africa was formed in 2009, with Diocesan Metropolitan Mathews Mar Thimothios. Diocese of UK, Europe and Africa includes the territorial area of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Germany, France, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Turkey, Greece, Cape Town in South Africa and Kenya.
The Diocesan headquarters is Malankara House, 35 Hennman Close, Swindon, SN25 4ZW, UK. The Administrative Annexe in India is in Parumala Seminary. This was consecrated by Baselios Mar Thoma Didymus I Valiya Bava. As of 2013 the diocese had 41 Parishes and Congregations across 10 countries.




Diocesan Metropolitan






List of parishes in the UK, Europe and Africa


Source




= United Kingdom

=
St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Aberdeen
St.Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church, Belfast
St. Stephen's Indian Orthodox Church, Birmingham
St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church, Bristol
St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Cambridge
St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church, Coventry
Holy Trinity Indian Orthodox Church, Crawley
St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Dorset
St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Congregation, Glasgow
St.Marys Indian Orthodox Church, King's Lynn
St. George's Indian Orthodox Congregation, Leicester
St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Liverpool
St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Cathedral,London
St. Thomas' Indian Orthodox Church, Hemel Hempstead London
St. George's Indian Orthodox Church, Manchester
The Holy Innocents Indian Orthodox Church Congregation, Neath
St. Dionysius Indian Orthodox Church, Northampton
St.Behanans Indian Orthodox Church North Wales
St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church, Oxford
St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church, Peterborough
St. George's Indian Orthodox Church, Portsmouth
St.George Indian Orthodox Church, Preston
St. George's Indian Orthodox Church, Sheffield
St.John the Baptist Indian Orthodox Church, Stoke-on-Trent
St.Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church, Southend-on-Sea
Mar Baselios Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church, Southampton
St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Sunderland
St.Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Woking




= Europe

=
Austria:

St.Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Vienna
Germany:

St.Gregorios Indian Orthodox
Church, Bielefeld

St.Gregorios Orthodox Church,
Bonn-Cologne

St.Thomas Malankara Community Frankfurt
St.Thomas Malankara Community
Hannover

St.Thomas Malankara Community
Berlin

St.Thomas Malankara Community
Hamburg

St.Thomas Malankara Community
Nurnberg

St.Thomas Malankara Community
Essen

St.Thomas Malankara Community
Stuttgart

St.Thomas Malankara Community
Munchen
Republic of Ireland:

Holy Trinity Indian Orthodox Congregation, Cork
St. Peter's and St. Paul's Indian Orthodox Church Drogheda
St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Dublin
St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church, Lucan, County Dublin
St. Elijah Indian Orthodox Congregation, Galway, Ireland
St.George Indian Orthodox Church, Limerick
St. George Indian Orthodox Congregation, Meath
St. Stephens Indian Orthodox Church, Mullingar
St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Sligo
St.Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church, Waterford
Malta:

St Peters and St Paul's Indian Orthodox Congregation
Switzerland:

St.Gregories Indian Orthodox Church, Thurgau
Netherlands:

St Philip and St Bartholomew Indian Orthodox Congregation Rotterdam
Rome:

St.Thomas Malankara Orthodox Congregation Rome
Georgia:

Mar Elia Indian Orthodox Congregation Tbilisi
Portugal:

Malankara Community in Lisbon
Poland

Malankara Community in Warsaw
France:

St.Marys Indian Orthodox Congregation Paris
Belgium:

St.James the Apostle Indian Orthodox Congregation Leuven




= Africa

=
Nigeria:

St.Stephen's Indian Orthodox Church, Lagos
South Africa:

St.Thomas Indian Orthodox Church




References






External links


Official website of Malankara Orthodox Church
Official website of UK, Europe and Africa Diocese
stthomasiocaberdeen.co.uk
ststephensioc.co.uk
stmarysindianorthodoxchurchbristol
ndianorthodoxchurchglasgow.co.uk
stthomasorthodoxlondon.org
indianorthodoxchurchkingslynn.co.uk
indian-orthodox.co.uk
oxfordmalankaraorthodox.co.uk

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• UK, Europe and Africa Malankara Orthodox Diocese
• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
• List of metropolitans of the Indian Orthodox Church
• Abraham Stephanos
• Mar Thoma Syrian Church
• Mathews Thimothios (Malankara bishop)
• Coptic Orthodox Church
• Parumala Seminary
• Thomas Makarios
• List of religious organizations