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St. Thomas The Apostle
St. Thomas, (born, probably Galilee died 72 AD, Madras, India; Western feast day December 21, feast day in Roman and Syrian Catholic churches July 3, in the Greek church October 6), one of the Twelve Apostles. His name in Aramaic (Teʾoma) and Greek (Didymos) means “twin”; John 11:16 identifies him as “Thomas, called the Twin.” He is called Judas Thomas (i.e., Judas the Twin) by the Syrians. Thomas’s character is outlined in The Gospel According to John. His devotion to Jesus is clearly expressed in John 11:5–16: when Jesus planned to return to Judaea, the disciples warned him of the Jews’ animosity (“now seeking to stone you”), to which Thomas soon replied, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” At the Last Supper (John 14:1–7) Thomas could not comprehend what Jesus meant when he said, “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas’s question “How can we know the way?” caused Jesus to answer, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Perhaps the best-known event in his life is the one from which the phrase “doubting Thomas” developed. In John 20:19–29 he was not among those disciples to whom the risen Christ first appeared, and, when they told the incredulous Thomas, he requested physical proof of the Resurrection, fulfilled when Christ reappeared and specifically asked Thomas to touch his wounds. His sudden realization of truth (“My Lord and my God”) made Thomas the first person to explicitly acknowledge Jesus’ divinity. Thomas’s subsequent history is uncertain. According to the 4th-century Ecclesiastical History of Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, he evangelized Parthia (modern Khorāsān). Later Christian tradition says Thomas extended his apostolate into India, where he is recognized as the founder of the Church of the Syrian Malabar Christians, or Christians of St. Thomas. In the apocryphal Acts of Thomas, originally composed in Syriac, he allegedly visited the court of the Indo-Parthian king Gondophernes, who put him in charge of building a royal palace (he was reportedly a carpenter); he was imprisoned for spending on charity the money entrusted to him. The work records his martyrdom as having occurred under the king of Mylapore at Madras (now Chennai), where San Thomé Cathedral, his traditional burial place, is located. His relics, however, supposedly were taken to the West and finally enshrined at Ortona, Italy. In addition to the apocryphal works, other similar writings related or accredited to Thomas are the Gospel of Thomas (among the Coptic gnostic papyri found in 1945 in Upper Egypt), The Book of Thomas the Athlete, and Evangelium Joannis de obitu Mariae (“The Message of John Concerning the Death of Mary”).
Syro Malabar Church
The Syro-Malabar Church, together with other Churches of St.Thomas tradition in India, traces its origin to St. Thomas, ‘the apostle of India’ who evangelized India in the period between 42 and 72 AD during his missionary journeys in India. After the visit of Pantenus, the Alexandrian scholar in 189, the Indian Christians began maintaining conscious contact with the Church of the East in the Persian Empire and getting bishops sent by the Seleucian or Chaldean Patriarch throughout the medieval period. In the seventh century, metropolitan status was granted to the Indian Church which indicated the acceptance of her autonomy. The community of St. Thomas Christians maintained from that time onwards their loyalty to the Persian Church.
In the modern period, from 16 th to 19 th centuries St. Thomas Christians remained under the Portuguese Padroado and Roman Propaganda Fide jurisdictions. During this time the Church witnessed a number of changes in many respects. The oriental nature, Syriac liturgy, Indian customs and practices all underwent changes especially due to the legislations of the Synod of Diamper of 1599. The consequent so called ‘Coonan Cross Oath’ of 1653 against the Portuguese ecclesiastical authorities resulted in the division of the one fold of St. Thomas Christians into different factions in the subsequent centuries. Those who remained loyal to the Roman Catholic Church were called ‘the Syro-Malabar’ Church and the rest accepted the Antiochean jurisdiction in the 19th century. A small faction of the Orthodox Syrian Malankara Church became Catholic in 1930 and was called ‘the Syro-Malankara’ Church.
The real modern period of the Syro-Malabar Church begins at the end of the nineteenth century with the separation of Syrian Catholics from the Latins with the establishment of two vicariates of Trichur and Kottayam as per the apostolic letter Quod Iam Pridem of 20 May 1887 of Pope Leo XIII. This new beginning is strengthened with the appointment of local bishops in the Syro-Malabar vicariates of Trichur, Changanacherry, and Ernakulam in 1896 with the apostolic letter Quae Rei Sacrae. The establishment of the Latin hierarchy in 1887 and the Syro-Malabar hierarchy with the apostolic constitution Romani Pontifices of 21 December 1923 by Pope Pius XI gave impetus to the growth of Christianity in India. The hierarchy of the Syro-Malabar Church was not constituted in the manner of an Eastern hierarchy with a common head (Patriarch or Major Archbishop) and a synod of bishops, consonant with the sacred canons and authentic Eastern traditions, but as a metropolitan province in accordance with the Latin Code of Canon Law of 1917. The erection of an indigenous hierarchy contributed to the phenomenal growth of the Syro-Malabar Church.
As the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches was promulgated in 1990, it became necessary to rectify the anomaly in the structure of our Church. Thus, on 16 December 1992, by the apostolic constitution Quae Maiori, Pope John Paul II raised the Syro-Malabar Church to the status of a Major Archiepiscopal Sui Iuris Church with the title of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Archbishop Mar Antony Padiyara was appointed the Major Archbishop. The powers of the Major Archbishop were given temporarily to Mar Abraham Kattumana, the Pontifical Delegate of the Roman Pontiff. When Archbishop Abraham Kattumana expired in 1995, Mar Antony Cardinal Padiyara was given the powers of the Major Archbishop. When Major Archbishop Padiyara resigned Mar Varkey Vithayathil C.Ss.R was appointed Apostolic administrator of the Syro-Malabar Church and also the Administrator of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. He took charge on 18 January 1997. On 26 January 2000, Mar Varkey Vithayathil C.Ss.R was installed as Major Archbishop. Then on 21 January 2001, His Beatitude Mar Varkey Vithayathil C.Ss.R was created Cardinal.
When Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil was called to eternal reward on 1 April 2011, Mar Bosco Puthur, the then Curia Bishop became the Administrator of the Church. He convened the synod on 23 May 2011 and the Synod elected Mar George Alencherry Major Archbishop. His enthronement took place at St. Mary’s Basilica on 29 May 2011. Mar George Alencherry was created Cardinal on 18 February 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. He participated in the conclave of Cardinals for the election of Pope Francis on 13 March 2013. With the erection of the Eparchy of Shamshabad and Hosur on 09 October 2017 and by extending the territories of the Eparchies of Ramanadhapuram and Thuckalay, Pope Francis granted the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church the jurisdiction for pastoral governance and evangelization all over India by the document Varietas ecclesiarum on 10 October 2017
On December 7, 2023, Holy Father Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal George Alencherry from the Office of the Major Archbishop, which lasted for a period of 12 years and six months. Consequently, Bishop Sebastian Vaniyapurackal, the Curia Bishop, being the Administrator of the Church, convened the Synod to elect a new Major Archbishop from January8-13, 2024, and the Synod elected Mar Raphael Thattil, the Fourth Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. After receiving the confirmation of the Holy Father Pope Francis, Mar Raphael Thattil was enthroned in a ceremony conducted at Mount St.Thomas Kakkanad on January 11, 2024.
Infant Jesus Church, Barrie
Infant Jesus Church, Barrie, is a vibrant Syro Malabar Catholic community rooted in the rich liturgical and spiritual traditions of Kerala, India, and united in faith here in Barrie, Ontario.
Our community’s journey began with the celebration of the first Holy Qurbana (Mass) on December 24, 2017—a blessed moment that laid the foundation for what would grow into a thriving parish family. Since then, Infant Jesus Church has become a spiritual home for Malayali families in and around Barrie, fostering a deep sense of belonging through worship, service, and community life.
We gather regularly to celebrate the Holy Qurbana, deepen our faith, preserve our cultural heritage, and pass on our values to future generations. Whether you are a long-time resident, newly arrived in the area, or simply visiting, we warmly welcome you to join us in worship and fellowship.
Together, we strive to live the Gospel, grow in faith, and remain anchored in the love of Christ and the communion of the Syro Malabar Church
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