St. Joseph Syro Malabar Forane Catholic Church | |
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29°36′49.5″N95°32′44.0″W / 29.613750°N 95.545556°W | |
Location | 211 Present St Missouri City, Texas |
Country | United States |
Denomination | Syro-Malabar Catholic Church |
Membership | 800 families |
Website | stjosephhouston |
History | |
Consecrated | October 18, 2003 |
Past bishop(s) | Jacob Angadiath |
Administration | |
Diocese | St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago |
Clergy | |
Bishop(s) | Joy Alappat |
Vicar(s) | Rev. Fr. Johnykutty George Puleessery |
Assistant | Rev. Fr. George Parayil |
The St. Joseph Syro Malabar Forane Catholic Church is a Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Parish in Missouri City, Texas serving the community of Houston. It is a Forane Parish for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas of Chicago. [1]
The current vicar of the Forane Parish is Reverend Fr. Johnykutty George Puleessery. Prior to his tenure in Houston, Fr. Puleessery served as the Chancellor of Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas of Chicago. He also was formerly vicar of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church in Philadelphia, PA. [2]
The Eparchy is the second-largest parish in the eparchy and the largest in the Texas region. Due to its size and importance, It has been granted an assistant vicar. It also hosted the 2019 Syro Malabar National Convention [3]
In April 2014 Mar Jacob Angadiath announced that the Houston Parish would be elevated to a Forane Church, one of the 9 due to the eparchy's geographical vastness and for better co-ordination. [4]
There are three Syro Malabar Churches and Missions under the St. Joseph Forane, Houston.
No. | Church/Mission Name | City |
---|---|---|
1 | St. Thomas Syro Malabar Church | San Antonio, Texas |
2 | Divine Mercy Syro Malabar Church | Edinburg, Texas |
3 | St. Mary Syro Malabar Church | Pearland, Texas |
The Syro-Malabar Church, also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic Church based in Kerala, India. It is a sui iuris (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO). The major archbishop presides over the entire church. The incumbent Major Archbishop is Raphael Thattil, serving since January 2024. The Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops canonically convoked and presided over by the major archbishop constitutes the supreme authority of the church. The Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the church is based in Kakkanad, Kochi. Syro-Malabar is a prefix reflecting the church's use of the East Syriac Rite liturgy and origins in Malabar. The name has been in usage in official Vatican documents since the nineteenth century.
The Archeparchy of Changanacherry is a Syro-Malabar Catholic archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in India in terms of area. Joseph Perumthottam is the current Metropolitan Archbishop, serving since 2007. Thomas Tharayil has been the auxiliary bishop since 2017. Suffragan eparchies of the Changanassery archeparchy includes Palai, Kanjirappally-Nilackal, and Thuckalay-Thiruvithancode.
The Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly is the major archeparchy and the see of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It has been the major archeparchy since 1992 when the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was elevated to the status of a major archiepiscopal church with Ernakulam-Angamaly as the primatal see. The major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly is the main bishop of the jurisdiction, at the same time the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The eparchies of Kothamangalam and Idukki are the two suffragan eparchies of the major archeparchy.
The Eparchy of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic of Chicago, also known as the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago, is a Syro-Malabar Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or eparchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its episcopal seat is the Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral in the episcopal see of Chicago in Illinois state.
The Archeparchy of Trichur, in Thrissur District of Central Kerala, India, with nearly half a million Syro-Malabar Catholics now, used to be the largest Catholic diocese in India when it included the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda until 1978 and Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palghat until 1973. Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda, also located in Thrissur District, has over a quarter million Syro-Malabar Catholics now. Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palghat in Central Kerala extends to some regions in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. In 2010, the parts of Tamil Nadu under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palghat were separated to form another Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Ramanathapuram.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam is a metropolitan Archeparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India. The Archeparchy is exclusively for Knanaya faithful who are the descendants of Syriac Judeo-Christians who migrated from South Mesopotamia to Kodungallur (Muziris) in South India in 4th century.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kalyan is an Eastern Catholic eparchy in India within the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, based in Kalyan, India. The eparchy was established to cater the spiritual needs of the Syro Malabar Christians based in the Indian State of Maharashtra including the metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Pune and Nasik. Its first bishop was Mar Paul Chittilapilly. The current bishop is Mar Thomas Elavanal. The Eparchy celebrated its silver jubilee in the year 2013.
Champakulam Kalloorkadu St. Mary's Basilica is an ancient Christian Church in Kerala. It belongs to the Syro-Malabar Church under the Archeparchy of Changanacherry. It is a Forane church, with several parishes under it.
St. Mary's Forane Church is a Syro-Malabar church in Arakuzha village, 6 km from Muvattupuzha, India. The village has a large population of Nasrani Christians. These Nasrani Christians of Arakuzha have more than 1500 years of recorded history. The church is under the jurisdiction of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kothamangalam. Servant of God Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly has served as the parish priest between 1920 and 1922.
The Holy Magi Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church is situated in the center of Muvattupuzha, Kerala, India. The church is under eparchy of Kothamangalam. The current vicar of church is Fr.Paul Nedumpurath.
Little Flower Forane Church, Nilambur is a Syro-Malabar church situated at Nilambur in Malappuram district.
The Church of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help, popularly known as Nithyasahaya Matha Palli or Moonjeli Palli is a parish church coming under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Irinjalakuda. It is situated along the Chalakudy - Ashtamichira Road, about 1 km from Chalakudi railway station at a small hamlet by name, Munjeli, in the south Indian state of Kerala. The parish falls under the jurisdiction of St. Mary's Forane, Chalakudy.
St. Antony's Church is a parish church of the Syro-Malabar Church in the village of Kuninji in Idukki district of Kerala.
St. Joseph Church, Aloor is a parish of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Aloor. It was the first parish church in Aloor Muri of the Mukundapuram and Kodassery taluks. Aloor parish is one of the 83 parishes between the Bharathappuzha and Periyar rivers, during the erection of syro-Malabar hierarchy and Trichur Vicariate.
Knanaya Region is a subdivision of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago. This region was officially established by Mar Jacob Angadiath, the bishop of the diocese on 30 April 2006. On that day, the bishop appointed Fr. Abraham Mutholath, the then Vicar General for Knanaya Community, as the first director of the Knanaya Region. The purpose of this region is to coordinate all the pastoral activities of the diocese under the leadership of Knanaya Region director who is also one of the Vicar Generals of the diocese.
Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Church located in Maywood, Illinois in the United States is the first Knanaya Catholic Church established outside the juridical boundary of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam. This church is also the first church of the Knanaya Region under the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago. The migrants from the Archdiocese of Kottayam living in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin were members of this parish at the time of its establishment on 24 September 2006. The parishioners were formerly members of the Knanaya Catholic Mission established by the Archdiocese of Chicago since 28 October 1983. Later another church was established in Morton Grove on 18 July 2010 for the parishioners living in the north side of 90 Expressway. The church was elevated as a forane church by Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath on 22 March 2015. The parish servers around 400 Knanaya Catholic families.
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