Muscat Maha Edavaka – the only church in the Gulf region to install holy relics of St Gregorios & St Dionysius

OCP Gulf News Correspondent – OCP News Service- 10/3/16
The Indian Orthodox Malankara Church

MUSCAT -OMAN: Mar Gregorios Orthodox Maha Edavaka in Muscat becomes the only Indian Orthodox church in the Arabian Gulf (outside Kerala region) to have installed the holy relics of two proclaimed spiritual saints namely St Gregorios and St Dionysious.

St Gregorios is the first and St Dionysious, the second proclaimed native saint of India, by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

On March 4, HH Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II, Catholicos of the East & Malankara Metropolitan, along with Ahmedabad Diocesan Metropolitan HG Pullikkottil Dr Geevarghese Mar Yulios led the installation ceremony of the relics of St Gregorios of Parumala (Patron saint of the parish) and St Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril at the Muscat Maha Edavaka.

The Catholicos praised the Muscat Mar Gregorios Maha Edavaka for installing the relics of a great luminary of Malankara Orthodox Church, popularly known as ‘Malankara Sabha Bhasuran’, and preferred all Orthodox churches to celebrate his feast without fail.

Diocese Metropolitan Dr Mar Yulios urged the faithful to show outmost reverence to the holy saints while visiting the church and read the citation of the two plaques erected at the site.

Fr Jacob Mathew, Vicar/President, thanked Metropolitan Mar Yulios for his efforts and valuable guidance towards installing the holy relics.

Fr Kuriakose Varghese, Associate Vicar, Very Rev Joseph Samuel Karukayil, Cor Episcopa, Dn Santhosh also attended the ceremony. Large number of faithful attended the ceremony.

The relics committee included P K Koshy, Sabha Managing Committee member and General Convenor, Abraham Mathew, Publicity Convenor, O Thomas, Reception Convenor and Mammen George, Diocesan Council Member.

Source:
OCP News Service