Ahmedabad Diocese under Metropolitan Mar Yulios revises salary for priests, clears medical and petrol allowance

The Indian Malankara Orthodox Church
10/8/2012
Liju Cherian
Sultanate of Oman

#Annual General Assembly of Diocese of Ahmedabad meets
#Salary revised for priest with yearly increment of 3 per cent
#Medical allowance, minimum petrol allowance (minimum) also approved
#Condolence resolution praises role by LL HG Mar Pachomios
#Decision on setting up of ‘Heritage Centre’ near Gandhi Ashram hailed
#Annual Report for 2011–12 passed after discussion
#Receipts, payments account of over Rs 1 cr presented and passed
# Pitampur School and real estate in Indore comes under Ahmedabad Diocese
#Parishioners urged to take part in Catholicate Centenary at Marine Drive in Nov

AHMEDABAD, India – Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Metropolitan HG Pulikkottil Dr Geevarghese Mar Yulios presided over a meeting of the Annual General Assembly of Diocese of Ahmedabad held on August 2, Thursday at Diocesan HQ, St Mary’s School, Naroda, in Gujarat state.

The meeting began with a memorial prayer and made obituary references to LL HG Paulose Mar Pachomios, Metropolitan of Mavelikara Diocese (1946-2012), who passed away after a brief illness in Kerala last week. Rev Fr V Daniel, Secretary Vaideeka Sangam, passed the condolence resolution on the departed metropolitan.

Dr Mar Yulios in his presidential address hailed the contributions of LL HG Pachomios and noted the role played by the late Metropolitan towards the Orthodox Church in general and Mavelikara Diocese in particular.
Rev Fr P O Mathai, Rev Fr Bejoy Varghese, Rev Fr Philip Varghese, Advocate Mathai Mampallil also hailed Pachomios Thirumeni’s role towards the Church as a whole.

Earlier, Diocesan Secretary, Rev Fr Jacob Mathew, welcomed the Assembly members present to the meeting.
The General Assembly also welcomed the decision of the Malankara Association regarding setting up of a Heritage Centre called ‘Gandhi Smruthi’ near Gandhi Ashram or the Sabarmati Ashram on the banks of River Sabarmati, where Mahatma Gandhi spent his life. Rs 10 lakh has been allotted from the Diocesan Budget to support this project along with Rs 4 lakh from the Catholicate Centre.

His Grace also informed that Pitampur School and the land at Indore (Madhya Pradesh) has been included under Ahmedabad Diocese.

The meeting also passed after discussion minutes of the previous General Assembly held on July 19, 2011 and February 17, 2012 which was presented by Rev Fr Jacob Mathew, Diocesan Secretary.

The Assembly meeting also decided to revise salary with a yearly increment of 3 per cent from the Diocese and approved medical allowance of minimum Rs 10,000 and petrol allowance minimum Rs 2,000 for the priests from the respective parishes.

Rev Fr Joji George, former Diocesan Secretary, presented the Annual Report for 2011–12. The report was passed after a discussion. Annual receipts and payments account of Rs 1,27,68,401 was presented and passed after discussion.

G M Panickar was appointed as the Hon Internal Auditor for 2012–13 and M/s Babubhai Patel & Co, Chartered Accountants appointed as External Auditors. Saji Abraham and Anil Thomas were nominated as Recording Secretaries.

Metropolitan Dr Mar Yulios also requested members of each parish to participate in the concluding celebrations of the Catholicate Centenary on November 25, 2012 at Marine Drive at Kochi, Kerala. Rev Fr Joji George, Vicar, Muscat Mar Gregorios Orthodox Maha Edavaka, proposed the vote of thanks.

Source:
Liju Cherian