Overview of Syro-Malankara Catholicsm in the Greater Washington Area
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is one of the 24 Catholic Churches in the Universal Catholic Communion. The Universal Catholic Communion, more commonly known as the Catholic Church, is currently headed by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. To say it another way, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See in Rome.
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has a total of around 500,000 members in the world. The Church is one of the Saint Thomas Churches centered in Kerala, India and was founded by St. Thomas, the Apostle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in the 1st century. In 1930, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, spearheaded by the efforts of the Servant of God Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, reunited to the Catholic Church during the Papacy of Pope Pius XI. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church uses the Antiochian (West Syrian) Liturgy, one of the most ancient in all of Christendom. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is now headed by His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum and Catholicos.
The Syro-Malankara Catholic community in the United States and Canada is now an Eparchy (Diocese) that includes almost one score parishes/missions. His Excellency Most. Rev. Philipos Mar Stephanos is the current Bishop of the St. Mary, Queen of Peace, Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in the USA and Canada.
The Syro-Malanakara Catholic Mission (now Parish) in Washington was formally inaugurated at the Holy Comforter Church on April 28th, 1985. For many years, starting in 1986, the mission was using the St. Ann’s Chapel located in St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Landover Hills to conduct its services. In November 2014, the Malankara community moved to the Church of the Holy Spirit which is a Roman Catholic Church in Forestville, Maryland where it still holds the Divine Liturgy and other liturgical services. As of September 2016, the local community was erected a parish under the St. Mary’s, Queen of Peace, Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in the USA and Canada. St. Mary’s Syro-Malankara Parish here in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area has one priest, who is the pastor, two religious sisters and over 30 families. Many of our members travel a significant distance to eagerly attend Holy Qurbono (Mass) and other liturgies.
