MAR GREGORIOS SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
OUR FAITH
Who We Are:
Mar Gregorios Syrian Orthodox Church of Staten Island, NY is a Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church consisting of Jacobite Christians hailing from the South Indian State of Kerala. Our Church is a non-profit religious organization incorporated in the State of New York, and is part of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, a member of the Oriental Orthodox Church family. We hold the proud distinction of being the first Malankara Syrian Orthodox parish established in North America, founded in 1975 by the faithful pioneers who carried the ancient faith across oceans to a new land.
Our Hierarchy:
Our Church is under the jurisdiction of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in North America, with His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II presiding as Supreme Head and Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East. Mor Baselios Joseph I serves as our Catholicos of India, and His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho serves as Archbishop and Patriarchal Vicar of the Malankara Archdiocese in North America. Rev. Fr. Rajan Peter currently serves as the Vicar of our parish, and Rev. Fr. Akash Paul serves as Associate Vicar.
Our Roots:
The Syriac Orthodox Church traces its origins to the city of Antioch, where followers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians. Our faith was brought to the shores of India by the Apostle St. Thomas in 52 AD, making the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. For nearly two thousand years our church has preserved the ancient liturgical traditions, sacred music, and apostolic faith of our forefathers — a heritage we continue to honor and pass on to the next generation here in Staten Island.
Our Worship:
Our liturgy is celebrated in Malayalam, English, and Syriac — the ancient language of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Qurbono, our sacred Eucharistic liturgy, follows the ancient West Syriac rite of St. James the Apostle, one of the oldest continuously celebrated liturgies in all of Christendom. Through our worship, our saints, and our sacraments, we remain connected to the unbroken chain of apostolic faith stretching back two millennia.
