April 2013 - St. Thomas Philadelphia

www.stthomasphiladelphia.org Volume XVII Issue 4
ST THOMAS INDIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
1009 UNRUH AVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19111
stthomasunruh@gmail.com I Phone: 215.342.1500 I Fax: 215.342.2700
OUR LORD IS RISEN!
What’s Inside?
Vicar’s Message - Page 2
Parish News—Page 3
Birthdays, Anniversaries
& Parish Calendar—Page 4
Spiritual Organizations-Page 5
Sunday School News-Page 6
INDEED HE IS RISEN!
NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2013
APRIL 2013 1 NEWSLETTER

His Grace Dr. Mathews Mar Thimotheos
A Brief Profile
His Grace Dr. Mathews Mar Thimotheos presided over the Holy Week
services at the St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia. His Grace will
also be leading the Feet-Washing Ceremony on Thursday evening.
His Grace Mar Thimotheos is a great scholar and leader in the Malankara
Orthodox Syrian Church. Now as the Metropolitan of the Diocese of UK-Europe-
Africa, perhaps the largest geographical area covered by one bishop. The headquarters
of the Diocese is set up at Venmony, Kerala with the name Menorah Orthodox
Center.
He took his B. Sc degree from Bishop Moore College, Mavelikara, G.S.T.
from Orthodox Seminary, Kottayam and B.D and M. Th from Serampore College,
Calcutta. He took his Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical
Institute, Rome and his doctoral degree from the Pontificia Studiorum Universitas,
Rome. He also took a diploma in Biblical Archeology from the Pontifical Institute, Jerusalem.
His Grace is a multilingual scholar. Aside from English and Malayalam, he is well versed in Italian, French,
German, Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew. His Grace has served in many key positions such as the Joint Secretary of St.
Thomas Orthodox Vaidika Sangham Publisher of the Purohithan quarterly, Secretary of the Vattasseril Mar Dionysius
Charitable Fund, Dean of Post Graduate Studies-FFRRC, Member of the Board of Studies for Old Testament, Serampore
College, Member of the Bible Translation Committee-Bible Society, Kerala, Registrar of Orthodox Theological Seminary,
Kottayam. His Grace was the chairman of the Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches in UK.
His Grace’s priestly ministry is spread over 18 years and has served as Asst. Vicar and Vicar in 8 parishes under
the jurisdiction of three dioceses, namely Kollam, Kottayam and Mavelikara. His Grace has published several books including
OVBS text books, Teacher’s Guide etc and an exegetical study of Psalm 24 which was published in Rome.
The Malankara Syrian Christian Association met on 11 Sep 2008 at Pampakuda elected him as the bishop along
with six others. On 4 Dec 2008 His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymus I professed him as Ramban. On 19 Feb 2009
His Grace was ordained as bishop by H.H. Baselios Marthoma Didymus I, at St. George Orthodox Church, Puthupally.
Visions and dreams for the Diocese
At present we have UK as a complete regional centre with
formation of a regional council and have major presence in the
United Kingdom from North to South and in the central part
of UK. We have a major say in UK and are active in all ecumenical
boards. I was elected Chairman for the Oriental Orthodox
Church Council in UK for three-year tenure from
1999. The community consists of the Council of Anglican
Churches and Council of Catholic Churches. The Bishop of
London, Rt Revd and Rt Hon Richard Chartres, awarded me
the Order of St Mellitus in recognition of our partnership in
the Gospel in July 2012. Next, our plan is to target Ireland and
efforts are on to create another regional council there since
about 200 Orthodox families have made their presence at present.
At a later stage, I would like to relate churches in UK to
any other diocese in Kerala so that the size of the diocese is
reduced and the diocese is easy to manage. This will help develop
the Diocese on a autonomous nature and could take take
An Interview with H. G. Dr. Mar Thimothios
(Published in ICON on Dec 31, 2012)
place within a year or so. We will strive to develop such a
system and place some promising young priests for ministry
work. There are also smaller Orthodox congregations in
France, Holland, Belgium and Hungary which we want to target.
Also Orthodox congregations both big and small exist in
Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Dreams, visions of Menorah Orthodox Centre
Menorah Indian Orthodox Centre is based at Venmony,
Chengannoor. The Centre is primarily striving to promote Orthodox
ethos. The centre is presently set up on a one acre plot.
Presently we have a Remban and seminary students who are
engaged in serious work. The centre conducts yearly youth
orientation classes for children from UK who come to Kerala
during vacation in January each year. We want to build the
infrastructure further and conduct more seminars and conferences.
We also conducted blood donation camps and a Pravasi
Sangamma for families from the diocese last year.
APRIL 2013 2 NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2013 3 NEWSLETTER

Vicar’s Message
May the Risen Lord Bless you all!
His Grace Dr. Mar Thimothios
I am extremely delighted to have His Grace Dr.
Mathews Mar Thimothios in our parish to lead the Holy
Week services. His Grace is the Metropolitan of the UK,
Europe and Africa Diocese of our Church. We are all
proud of the new batch of young and vibrant bishops to
lead our Church in different parts of the world in which
the greatest geographical area is covered by His Grace
Mar Thimothios. His Grace’s diocese is a fast growing
one. Many untouched small congregations that are in different
countries of Africa and Europe are now in the process
of being revived. There is a sign of enthusiasm and
excitement in many smaller congregations which are composed
of our members who are working in those countries.
You may find the biographical details of the His
Grace elsewhere in this newsletter. It is our prayer and
wish that His Grace succeeds in serving the newly constituted
diocese. There are several ways we can help His
Grace in the ministry: praying for the diocese and its varied
activities and helping His Grace with our time and resources.
We owe a special thanks to His Grace for sharing
the Word of God with us and leading us in worship
throughout the Holy Week. It was a huge blessing for all
of us. His Grace’s scholarship, humility-filled personal
touch and affectionate dealing have given a special for His
Grace in our hearts.
On behalf of our parish I say
Thank you Thirumeni for everything!
The Lord’s Resurrection
The Resurrection of our Lord is the foundation of
Christian faith. St. Paul says, “if Jesus has not resurrected,
our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”1 Corinthians
15:14. St. Paul was not a believer in the resurrection
of the Lord, instead he was avowed to destroy all who
follow Christ. He never wanted to believe any words of
Jesus as he was a Jewish Pharisee. But he was struck heavily
by the Lord on his encounter at the gate of Damascus.
Therefore St. Paul’s experience with the risen Lord became
the reason for his conviction. St. Paul shared that
conviction with others.
If we believe in the Resurrection, we need to do three
things:
1) Take courage to proclaim and share that faith
with others. It has become just a matter of hearsay for
many of us that the Lord is risen. Someone told me and so
I have to believe. We lack the experience of resurrection.
In the Early Church not because everyone saw Jesus either
live or resurrected that
they believed but they trusted
the faith handed over to
them. Thus as Jesus said,
“blessed are those who believe
without seeing” John
20:29. Therefore we must
blindly believe the resurrection
and share that with others.
In the modern century,
it is a matter of shame for proclaiming the resurrected
Lord because at the point of our proclamation of the faith
the listener will ask, “is this the way the believers in
Christ live?” We have no moral courage to answer this
question. So we just don’t care about telling others that
the Lord is risen. We can be missionaries of Christ if we
have the true faith in the risen Lord.
2) Practice the message of resurrection that is peace
and love. This is crucial. The Early Church again comes
as a model for us. They not only told others about the resurrected
Lord but proved to others that they are living
according to the norms that the Lord taught. Seeing the
peaceful and loving life of Christians in the Early Church
millions joined the Church. They were not looking for
worldly advantages by becoming members of the Christian
Church but they were looking for peace, hope, love
and joy. The Church offered all these. Today it is a huge
challenge for us. Where do we see peace-loving people?
Where do we see loving people? If we can be living witnesses
of the love of Christ our existence as a Church, has
some meaning.
3) Live with the Hope of Resurrection that guarantees
victory over death: The greatest fear of a human being is
death as we all know. But Jesus made it very clear that
death is not a real threat to us because Jesus Christ overcame
death and we have been guaranteed victory over
death. This was the only factor that produced so many
martyrs not ‘suicide killers’ in the Early Church. The Jewish
and Roman communities threatened Christians with
death but they were not afraid. They did not deny the
faith. This became an important factor that attracted millions
to the Church. Emperors and administrators lost
their battle against Christians in this matter. Even the
mighty Roman Empire was brought down at the feet of
Christians for this Reason. Can you say that you are not
afraid of death? That is the real test that you really believe
in the risen Lord or not.
The Lord is Risen! Indeed He is Risen.
Lovingly, Fr. M. K. Kuriakose
APRIL 2013 4 NEWSLETTER

Guest Clergy:
H.G. Dr. Yuhannon Mar Meletius (03/17)
H.G. Dr. Mathews Mar Timotheos (Holy Week)
First Temple Entry:
Arya Emma Mathew, Daughter of Dr. Anand Mathew and Dr
Dinu Cherian
Joseph Varughese Raju, Son of Robin Raju & Joyce Raju
New Members:
Parish News
Rijon Simon and Elizabeth Rijon
Wednesday & Thursday Prayer Line
Prayer-Line dial-in # 213-342-3000. Access Code:
4044200. Please email Mathew Samuel,
msamue2000@yahoo.com, to add your email address
for Prayer Line updates.
Wednesday 9AM-10AM; Thursday 8PM-9PM
Mohan Samuel 01-Apr
Ninan C.N. Jose 01-Apr
Mariamma Thomas 04-Apr
Lajy Raju
04-Apr
Lincy Kuncheriah 04-Apr
Raju C Samuel 04-Apr
Ricky Panicker 06-Apr
Nathan George Thomas06-Apr
Renju R Padiyara 07-Apr
Koshy Daniel 07-Apr
Thankachan Samuel 07-Apr
Philip T Varghese 08-Apr
Lima Arun
09-Apr
Manoj Mathew 09-Apr
Thomason C. Korah 10-Apr
Joel Koshy
10-Apr
Leelamma Vaidian 12-Apr
Raji Abhilash 12-Apr
Ashish Abraham 13-Apr
Raju T Chandy 13-Apr
Sherry Kurian 14-Apr
Babu Varghese 14-Apr
Reshma R Padiyara 14-Apr
Jacob Chacko 15-Apr
Achen Varghese 15-Apr
Ansamma Saju Paul 15-Apr
Susamma George 16-Apr
George Varghese 17-Apr
Mathew Philip Varghese17-Apr
Thomas Daniel 17-Apr
April Birthdays
Beena Joseph 18-Apr
Jobin K. Abraham 18-Apr
Jacob M Zachariah 18-Apr
Jeremy B Mukadiyil 18-Apr
Jessy Jacob
18-Apr
Synu Varghese 18-Apr
Suni Brown 19-Apr
Bindu Sam
19-Apr
Joel Sathees 19-Apr
Joshua Koshy 20-Apr
Aleyamma Varghese 20-Apr
George Eapen 20-Apr
Reem Ann Bivin 21-Apr
Teena Biju
21-Apr
Aleyamma Kuncheriah21-Apr
Saramma Varghese 22-Apr
Leona Thomas 25-Apr
Alice Sathees 25-Apr
Jaisy A Thomas 25-Apr
Rajani T Rajan 27-Apr
Benjamin Jacob Sam 28-Apr
Ajila S Koshy 28-Apr
Thomas G Kappil 28-Apr
Benji Varghese 30-Apr
Reuben Jacob Sam 30-Apr
Sean P Thomas 30-Apr
Rev Dn. Daniel Yohannan30-Apr
Mathew Varghese 30-Apr
Ajo Raju
30-Apr
We wish you all
a Happy Birthday!
Announcements
Please send news, articles and information for May 2013
Newsletter by Sunday, April 21 to the parish secretary or
newsletter editor: stthomasiocsecretary@gmail.com,
stioc.newsletter@gmail.com.
Please contact the parish office for any updates in contact
information, addition in the family etc. to be added
to the database.
Please update your telephone numbers for Message
Broadcast.
Please visit our Web Site for information on upcoming
events. http://stthomasphiladelphia.org/
Please collect your payment receipt after Holy Qurbana
from the office.
Please pay your subscription monthly or quarterly for
the smooth running of the Church.
Prayer Meetings: Please contact Prayer Meeting Coordinator,
Mr. Joseph Vakayil, to schedule a prayer meeting. Prayer
meetings may be hosted in your home or in Church.
April Wedding Anniversaries
Mr & Mrs Raju C Samuel 03-Apr
Mr & Mrs Philip George 07-Apr
Mr & Mrs Thomas Abraham 10-Apr
Mr & Mrs Thomas T Varghese 11-Apr
Mr & Mrs John P Eapen 11-Apr
Mr & Mrs George Thadathil 17-Apr
Mr & Mrs Thomason Challiyil Korah23-Apr
Mr & Mrs Biju Varghese 24-Apr
Mr & Mrs Mathew George 24-Apr
Mr & Mrs Jacob George 26-Apr
Mr & Mrs Rebu Roy 26-Apr
Mr & Mrs Robin P. Montharayil28-Apr
Mr & Mrs Ronnie Cherian 28-Apr
Mr & Mrs Biju P. Varghese 29-Apr
Mr & Mrs Jose V Abraham 30-Apr
Mr & Mrs George Abraham 30-Apr
We wish you all a Happy Anniversary!
APRIL 2013 5 NEWSLETTER

Sunday School
News
Submitted by Oommen Kappil, Principal
(Tel.: 267.902.8500, email: kappil1@yahoo.com)
Happy Easter to you! Easter brings great news of hope and renewal of spirits. It’s also the time to focus on year-end
activities including final exams and competitions. In the era of global competition, the goal of Sunday school competitions
is to encourage the students to use their talents. Let them come together and share their talents while praising God.
The competitions are all intended to help young people by gaining knowledge, gain confidence, grow closer to God, and
to one another.
Assigned Competitions
Our parish will conduct Assigned Competitions under the guidance and supervision of the Sunday school Principal and
teachers. The best two entries in each category will be selected, and the winners from this competition will represent our
church at the Area Level. For further details, please contact Liz Pothen, Assigned Competition Coordinator (Tel.:
215.509.2539, email: lizpothen@hotmail.com)
Group & Grades
Topic
Group 1 : Beginner– Nursery/
KG (Drawing)
Group 2 : Primary – Grades
1,2,3(Drawing)
Assigned Competition Guidelines
• The time limit for the competition is 45 minutes.
Group 3 : Junior–
Grades 4,5,6 (Essay)
Group 4 : Intermediate –
Grades 7,8,9 (Essay)
Group 5 : Senior– Grades
10,11, 12 (Essay)
Draw a picture based on the following scripture verse:
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)
Draw a picture based on the following scripture verse:
So when she opened the ark, she saw the child crying, and the daughter of Pharaoh
had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” (Exodus
2:6)Write a short paragraph about your drawing.
The book of Daniel, chapter 3, is about the plight of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
How will you handle similar situations in your life?
Numerous innocent children lost their lives during the tragic school shooting in Newtown,
CT. Why does the innocent suffer?
Recent studies have shown there is a decline of religious affiliation among young
people in the United States. Among the Orthodox Christians in this country, do you
feel that your generation is less or more devout than your parents’ or grandparents’
generation? Explain.
No notes or other reference materials should be permitted for the essay or drawing competitions.
Judging criteria:
Drawings
Essay
Theme Presentation 5 points Introduction 2 points
Clarity & Neatness 3 points Content & Grammar 4 points
*Write Up 2 points Biblical Reference 2 points
Total 10 points Conclusion 2 points
Total
10 points
*Since there is no write-up for BEGINNER – NURSERY/ KG, “Theme Presentation” and “Clarity & Neatness” get
equal weighting (i.e. 5 points each).
APRIL 2013 6 NEWSLETTER

Talent Competitions
Children can compete either in Malayalam or English (not both) in song, story and Elocution.
Time limit: Song and Storytelling: 3 minutes; Elocution: 5 minutes.
All students are eligible to compete in team events (Quiz and Group Song)
For further details, please contact Suja Abraham, Talent Competitions Coordinator (Tel. : 215.313.2742, e-mail:
sujaabe2000@gmail.com)
Group & Grades (All Grades as of 1/1/13)
Eligible Competition Events
Group 1: Grades Pre-K & KG Solo Song Story Telling
Group 2: Grades 1 & 2 Solo Song Story Telling
Group 3: Grades 3 & 4 Solo Song Story Telling
Group 4: Grades 5 & 6 Solo Song Elocution
Group 5: Grades 7 & 8 Solo Song Elocution
Group 6: Grades 9 & 10 Solo Song Elocution
Group 7: Grades 11 & 12 Solo Song Elocution
Elocution Topics – 2013
Group & Grades
Group 4:
Grades 5 & 6
Group 5:
Grades 7 & 8
Group 6:
Grades 9 & 10
Group 7:
Grades 11 & 12
Elocution Topics
1. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have
from God? You are not your own. (1 Corinthians 6:19)
2. Describe the importance of prayer in the life of an Orthodox Christian.
1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging
cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1)
2. Describe the importance of Scripture in the life of an Orthodox Christian.
1. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, (James 1:19)
2. How does the Tradition of the Church preserve the Orthodox Faith?
1. Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the
LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1:21)
2. What is the importance of the Holy Trinity within Christian Orthodoxy?
Bible Quiz
Reference for Bible Quiz: (RSV Bible Version)
1. Ezra 2. Job 3. Gospel of St. John
Middle School Fellowship (CAYA)
The Middle School Fellowship had its Middle School in Action meeting on Saturday, March 16th, from 3:30-
5:30. They learned the importance of helping the community during the Lenten season. They participated in a service
project in which they made 15 care packages for charity. These packages included food, water, and toiletries. The project
was a success, and hopefully the ministry will be able to do another service project shortly. All middle schoolers
not involved in the ministry are encouraged to join!
APRIL 2013 7 NEWSLETTER

News from Spiritual Organizations
Martha Mariam Samajam (MMS): MMS meets alternate Sundays at the church auditorium after Holy Communion for prayer,
Bible Study, learning songs and more. For more details of their activities please contact Secretary Saji Philip (bobsaj95@gmail.com)
for more details.
Women’s Fellowship: Women’s Fellowship meets on a regular basis for prayer and meditation. Contact Mrs. Bessie Mathew
(bessie334@yahoo.com) for more details..
MGOCSM: Our young men and women who are in high school and college have been engaged in Apostolic Bible Study, thoughtprovoking
discussions and relevant group projects. For more information, contact Secretary Mr. Alvin Panicker
(rmsalvin@gmail.com) for more details.
Middle School Fellowship (CAYA): CAYA (Come As You Are) is geared towards middle school students! All middle school children
(children in grades 6, 7, or 8) are welcome and encouraged to attend this Middle School Fellowship, or CAYA. This ministry is
unique, because it allows the children to provide feedback and ideas, which encourages them to take an active role in the church.
Please contact our Vicar, Asst. Vicar or coordinator Ms. Meenu Mathews (meenuamathews@yahoo.com) for more details.
Discipleship Ministry: Over the past month and a half a select group of young men have been fully engaged in learning the essential
of becoming a disciple for Christ. We are proud of the young men who have dedicated their time for this ministry. Please contact
our Assistant Vicar for more details.
Couples Fellowship: This fairly new ministry in our parish has been explained in detail in the previous edition of this newsletter,
that is, it's formation and structure. More of our men must contribute their time for this ministry. Please contact Mr. Jacob Chacko
(Reji) and Mrs.Susan John Varghese for more details.
OCYM: During the past month OCYM has been examining the Malankara Orthodox church and its apostolic roots. Please contact
Secretary Mr. Paul John (pjohn_19446@yahoo.com) for more information.
Men’s Forum: Men’s Forum fellowship is going very strongly in our Church. The format of this session includes prayer, songs,
bible reading, teaching followed by discussions. For more information please contact Mr. Thomaskutty Varghese
(thomaskuttyv62@yahoo.com) for more details.
FOCUS: FOCUS, Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in the United States is an organization intended for young adults, married and
single, post-graduate students and professionals, from the ages of 23 and up. Contact our Assistant Vicar for more details.
From Secretary’s Desk
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed-Easter! Easter. The resurrection of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ is the lynchpin of our Christian faith. Without the resurrection Jesus is just one of many
great teaching rabbis. But his resurrection changed everything. The well-known Christian hymn, "Because
He Lives," says it all. "Because he lives I can face tomorrow; because he lives all fear is gone!" Because he
rose from the dead, you, I, and all who call upon his name for the forgiveness of our sin know for a fact
that Jesus has secured a place for us in heaven. We no longer need fear the great enemy of us all, death.
Jesus gives us forgiveness for our past and future, strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.
Easter is the one event that can impact everyone, everywhere. No matter what our background is
and no matter what state we find ourselves in at this very moment, the Easter message comes to us filled
with hope. And if there is one thing that everyone needs, it is hope. May God bless you all abundantly.
Along with the Managing Committee and Board of Trustees me and my family wish you all a Very Happy
Easter.
With Lots of Love and prayers,
Secretary,
Philip Varghese
APRIL 2013 8 NEWSLETTER

Sunday School Calendar
Event Date Contact Comments
Area Teachers Meeting, TTC Coaching Saturday, April 6 Santhosh Baby St. Gregorios Church
Assigned Competition Sunday, May 5* Liz Pothen Parish Level
Assigned Competition Sunday, May 12 Liz Pothen Area Level, St Mary's Devereux
Bible Quiz Sunday, May 19* Suja Abraham Parish-level
Area Picnic Saturday, June 8 Renju Padiyara Area-level
Centralized Exam 12 th Grade Sunday, June 2 Jessie Jacob St. John's Church
Felicitation of Graduates Sunday, June 15 * Santhosh Baby Parish-level
Centralized Exam- Grades 5, 8, 10 &
TTC Exam
Sunday, June 30 Class Teachers St. Mary's Cathedral
OVBS Aug 1, 2, 3 Jenni Raj Location: Our Church
Field Trip Monday, Sept 2 Santhosh Baby Area-level,Northeast Adult Daycare
Talent Competition Saturday, Sept. 14 Suja Abraham Parish Level
Talent Competition Saturday, Sept. 28 Suja Abraham Area Level, St. John's Church
Talent Competition Saturday, Oct. 12 Suja Abraham Diocesan Level, NY/NJ Area
*Tentative dates only
Parish Calendar
Date Event/Time Location Time
June 15 MMS Diocesan level Couples Forum Church TBA
July 10-13 Family & Youth Conference NY
OCYM Calendar
April 14, 2013, 4:00 PM Bowling Event
April 21, 2013 (Tentative) CPR Class and Certification
May 19, 2013 Bake Sale
June 08, 2013 One Day Trip to Poconos
June 30, 2013 Summer Bar-B-Q
September 7, 2013 (Tentative) Fishing Trip
2013 Family &
Youth Conference
Dates:
July 10 to July 13, 2013
Location:
Honor's Haven
Resort and Spa
1195 Arrowhead Road
Ellenville, NY 12428
Theme:
"Offer ourselves as a living sacrifice"
(Romans 12:1)
Speakers:
Rev. Fr. Dr. Baby Varghese
Professor, Orthodox Theological
Seminary, Kottayam
Please remember to collect the Parish Souvenir from
asst. secretary Mrs. Raji John as soon as possible.
Rev. Fr. John Parker
For more information, please email
familyandyouthconference@gmail.com.
APRIL 2013 9 NEWSLETTER