Mar Thoma Syrian Church Kalyan West

Mar Thoma Syrian Church

Kalyan West, Maharashtra, India

Contact

Krishnakunju, Church Lane
Masoba Maidan
Kalyan West Maharashtra, India


Kalyan Mar Thoma Church is one of the outside Kerala parishes of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar with its Head Quarters at Tiruvalla, Kerala. During the period 1930-40, many Syrian Christian members including Marthomites who came to Mumbai from Kerala, started prayer groups/congregational worships and by their relentless efforts a Mar Thoma parish was set up in Mumbai in November 1940, the present Mumbai/Dadar Mar Thoma parish. It was the first and only Mar Thoma Parish covering the whole of Mumbai city and suburbs including Kalyan. The place of worship was the Holy Redeemer Anglican Church, Dadar. Due to the difficulties in attending services and fellowship gatherings at distant Mumbai, a few Marthomites staying in and around Kalyan, formed a prayer cell here in Kalyan, and the first prayer meeting was held on 28th Dec, 1950 at Karnik Road, along with some members of other Christian denominations. In due course, a representation was submitted to the Metropolitan on 12th May 1951 for an independent parish at Kalyan. Meanwhile with the permission of the appropriate Sabha authorities, the first Holy Communion service in Malayalam order was celebrated by late V. Rev. P. J. Thomas of Ankola on 17th Jun, 1951 at St. Christopher Church, Kalyan. His Grace, the Late Most. Rev. Dr. Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan, by a Kalpana dated 10th Aug, 1951 was pleased to accord sanction to the formation of a separate Mar Thoma parish at Kalyan and the first Holy Communion service as a parish was celebrated on Sunday, 19th Aug, 1951 at the St. Christopher’s Church, Kalyan by late V. Rev. C. G. Alexander, the then Vicar of Mumbai who was concurrently appointed Vicar of Kalyan parish also. On this occasion, we remember with gratitude, the help and guidance given by late Very Rev. C. G. Alexander, late Rev. T. M. Mathai of Kirkee-Pune, Mr. George Alexander (now Rev. George Alexander) and many members in and around Kalyan/Mumbai who gave leadership for the formation of the Kalyan parish. We continued our worship service at St. Christopher’s Church, Kalyan till Dec 1968.

As years passed by, the Marthomite community increased in number and we felt the need of having a church building of our own. We raised funds through various sources and purchased on ownership basis, our worship place at Karnik Road named Mar Thoma Centre. By 1968, this hall was ready and the first Holy Communion service was celebrated there on 12th Dec, 1968 by our present Valia Metropolitan, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Philipose Mar Chyrsostom. This place was dedicated on 9th Feb, 1969 by His Grace Himself.

Due to the space crunch caused by the increased strength of the parish and also to revitalize our social service projects etc., we thought of having a larger place, and for this purpose, we acquired a plot of land in Apr 1984 at Masoba Maidan. There, the foundation stone for a multipurpose building was laid on 18th Jan, 1987 by the present Metropolitan, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma (the then Diocesan Bishop). With the sincere co-operation of all our members, our sister parishes, as well as friends and well wishers, the first phase i.e., the ground floor was completed and dedicated to the glory of God by His Lordship Rt. Rev. Geevarghese Mar Athanasius ( the then Diocesan Bishop) on 31st Mar, 1990. The first Holy Communion service at this church was celebrated by His Lordship himself on Sunday, the 1st Apr, 1990.