Indian Orthodox Church in Bedford Park marks 40th anniversary; dignitaries from India to join celebration
Father Cherian inside St. Mary’s Orthodox Church of India in Bedford Park, which celebrates its 40th anniversary. Dignitaries from India coming for the special event.
Tanyanika Samuels / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
6/9/2012
St. Mary’s Orthodox Church of India has congregation of 700.
The first time the faithful congregants of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church of India gathered to worship, it was in the basement of a seminary in Manhattan.
They were recent Indian immigrants, about 15 in all. They had their faith, and little else.
“We didn’t even have a table to put our holy vessels on to celebrate eucharist. We found one in the basement. It had only three legs. We made another leg and we celebrated on that for many years,” said the Rev. Alummoottil Cherean smiling wistfully. “That is how we started.”
How times have changed.
Today, St. Mary’s Orthodox Church of India sits proudly on Bedford Park Blvd. with its new stained glass windows and ornate gold-colored altar.
This weekend, the church and its congregation – which now numbers more than 700 – will celebrate its 40th anniversary.
To help mark the occasion, the Supreme Head of the church, His Holiness Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II has flown in from India along with four bishops.
“We started from scratch,” Cherean said. “God brought us this much in 40 years and we are thankful to Him for providing these great blessings.”
The Bronx church is part of an ancient religious tradition.
Known also as the Malankara Orthodox Church, the Indian Orthodox Church was founded in Kerala, India by St. Thomas the Apostle in A.D. 52.
It is one of the five Oriental Orthodox Churches, which also includes Coptic, Syrian, Ethiopian and Armenian.
Members worship the Holy Trinity, pray to the saints and practice confessions before priests. Priests can marry. Men and women worship on separate sides of the sanctuary. There are no pews. With the exception of the elderly, all worshippers stand for the duration of the services.
Today, there are about 3.5 million Orthodox Christians living in India. St. Mary’s Orthodox Church of India is the only one of its kind in the Bronx.
“We are one of the original Christian groups who learned theology from the Apostle himself,” Cherean said. “We are very proud of that.”
Many of St. Mary’s parishioners migrated to the U.S. from India in the 1970s. As membership grew, it was clear the congregation needed its own church home.
Church leaders looked to the Bronx, where many members already lived. The main building was completed in 1981. The St. Gregorios Annex came in 1994.
In many cases, there are three generations of families now coming to the church.
“(Father Cherean) baptised our children. And now he’s baptising our children’s children,” said Thattaruparampil Mathai, 79.
“I really didn’t like priests back home. But then I met him when I came here and he changed me,” said parishioner Jacob Malathu. “We have a great leader.”
Earlier this week, Cherean joined some of the parishioners as they prepared for the weekend of festivities.
As part of the celebration, the church is being renovated with new mahogany doors and stainglass windows depicting the life of Jesus Christ. These additions are not only a way of celebrating the past, but looking to the future.
“We wanted to beautify the church to draw more young people,” said Alexy John, 47, a member for 30 years. “We want them to have a place to come and enjoy themselves with friends and be away from the social ills. That is what it was for me.”
tsamuels@nydailynews.com
