|
September 2008
|
| S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| 31 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
| 7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
| 14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
| 21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
| 28 |
29 |
30 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| 5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
Welcome to the web site of the Marthoma congregation,
Dublin. This congregation belongs to the North America and
Europe Diocese of the Mar Thoma Church. Situated in Dublin,
the parish propagates worship and cultural integrity for marthomites
and other Christian communities in Republic of Ireland.
THE MALANKARA MAR THOMA SYRIAN CHURCH-ORIGIN AND EARLY
RELATIONSHIPS
The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, believed to
have been founded by Saint Thomas, one of the Apostles of
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world in A.D.52. The word
Malankara. came by the first Christians from the Malabar Coast.
Mar Thoma signifies the name of the founder Saint Thomas and
Syrian comes from the origin of Eastern tradition of the Church.
In short Mar Thoma Church is an Eastern Reformed Church. Here
we recognize an amicable blending of two characteristic tracts,
namely, the eastern Church features and reformation ideals.
This nature of the Church points to it's uniqueness, when
compared to other Churches. It is not the product of the missionary
activities of a foreign Church. Besides, the Church also affirms
its belief that it constitutes an essential part of the One,
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Within the period of fifteen centuries the Syrian Church entered
into cordial relationships with the Alexandrian Church and
the Persian Churches. During the middle ages, the Church got
connected with the European Christianity. But we get a detailed
history of the Church only with the coming of the Portuguese
toward the last decade of the 15th century. A new age dawned
in the history of the Syrian Church with the arrival of Vasco
de Gamma in 1498. His arrival initiated the flow of Portuguese
people into the nation for trade and commerce. As the Portuguese
community grew in number, they had also become progenitors
of Roman Catholicism. Their sole idea was to bring the Syrian
Church under the Roman ecclesiastical supremacy. In1653 the
Church shook off the shackles of ecclesiastical slavery and
ascertained its freedom and autonomous nature by taking an
oath called Coonan (Crooked) Cross Oath. Which points to the
tragic split in the Church forming two groups viz., the Syrian
Church and the Roman Church.
The Antioch eve Church on request helped the Church to have
a duly consecrated native Bishop (Mar Thoma1) of its own.
His consecration by Antiochave Prelate inaugurated the connection
of the Syrian Church with the Jacobite Church of Antioch.
During the period from 1665 to 1877, the Church was led one
after another by thirteen Bishops. In this period, many significant
things happened in the life of both the nation and the Church.
Tipu Sultan's invasion on Travancore, the pact between the
British and Travancore-Cochin States, arrival of British residents
to Kerala, creation of a trust fund called "Vattipanam"
and the visits of early C. M. S. Missionaries, etc aided to
the zigzag history of the Syrian Church of the later period.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the life of the Syrian
Church was in a state of decline.Lack of leadership qualities,
theological insights, loose moral life, unscriptural doctrines
weakened the Church day by day. 'The Mission help' from the
Anglican Church of England came to Travancore in 1816-1817,
made invaluable contributions to the Church and the society.
During this period, Palakunnathu Abrham Malpan and Kaithayil
Geevarghese Malpan, the two professors of the Syrian Seminary
at Kottayam, dedicated themselves to the cause of a reform
in the Syrian Church. Their subsequent work including the
revision of the St. James litugy translation into the vernacular;
blew the trumpet call for reformation. The reformation movements
cleansed the Church from all the spiritual, moral and social
abuses. In 1889, the Church was marred by yet another division.
This reform section which formed part of the ancient Syrian
Church is now known as the Mar Thoma Church.
The ministry of the Church has been blessed by the offices
of the Bishop, Priests and the deacon. The Church values highly
the importance of apostolic succession and celebate episcopacy,
which is constitutional in nature. Thereby the Church continues
in the age old beliefs and customs of the ancient Syrian Church.
The leadership of the laity is always an asset of the Church.
They are deeply involved in the life and mission of the Church
and are full participants in the priestly ministry of the
Church. Administration of the Church has been guided by a
democratic constitution. To facilitate efficient functioning
of the Church, it is divided mainly into dioceses, parishes,
regions and centres. All dioceses, currently ten in number,
are under the governance of a Diocesan Bishop. The local parishes
are looked after by the clergy. The supreme authority of the
Church is the General Assembly, which is constituted of the
Bishops, the Clergy and elected representatives of the local
parishes. The Assembly meets once a year and determines the
multifarious functions of the Church. In addition to the Assembly,
the Episcopal Synod and the Executive body help in the general
administration of the Church. In the like manner, the administration
of each diocese is being controlled and guided by two elected
bodies, vis., the Diocesan Assembly and the Diocesan Council.
People who accepts and profess the faith and practice of the
Church are grouped into parishes. The parish General Body
and the executive committee are designed in such a way as
to ender assistance in the able functioning of the parish.
The parish works through specially formed organizations with
different objectives to cater to the spiritual needs of the
members. They are Sunday School, Youth League, Women Auxiliary,
Parish Mission, Prayer Groups and the like.
The missionary impulse of the Church led her to organize different
institutions, conferences and camps to carry out missionary
work among her own members and among people who are outside
the membership of the Church. These organisations such as
Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association(1888), Christian Education
Department(1905), Women Auxiliary(1910), Voluntary Evangelists
Association(1925), Youth Department(1933) etc. won stupendous
achievements in their work. The conventions convened time
and again also enriched the spiritual life of the people.
Of all the conventions, the Maramon convention(1896) ranks
first with respect to the large number of people attending
to it every year and making people conscious of their Christian
responsibility in all areas of their life as individuals,
families and Christian communities. The Church has always
been keen in providing opportunities to all theological education.
The Seminary of the ancient Syrian Church founded in 1813
at Kottayam was the first of its kind in giving training to
its clergy. The Church has also initiated numerous successful
projects in the field of education, medical mission and other
kind of charity works
In the past centuries, there were many attempts to relate
the Church with other denominations. The year 1936 witnessed
a remarkable achievement in the field of church union movement,
when the Mar Thoma Church and the Anglican Church of India
(CIBC) had established a formal occasional intercommunion.
Now the Church enjoys full intercommunion relationship with
the world wide Anglican communion, CSI, CNI, and Episcopal
Churches in USA and Canada. The coming into existence of CSI-
CNI- MTC Joint Council is yet another forward step in their
efforts to achieve more close unity between the three Churches.
By the passage of time forces of reform and revival and spirit
of ecumenism joined together in moulding the Church as it
is seen, known and accepted today. To conclude, late Dr. Stanley
Jones wrote of this Church in 1938, as follows:
This Church, entirely Indian manned, is the brightest Christian
movement in India. They are progressive and will bleed and
die for their Church. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|