September 2012

© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto

The month of August

marks the end of a wonderful and

blessed summer holidays for chil-

dren both from regular school and

Sunday school. We have had an

enjoyable holiday spending time

with family and friends, but now we

are beginning to start a new school

year. This time of the year is very

important for Malankara Catholics

as we start Ettu Nombu and com-

memorate the Nativity of Mother

Mary, the patron saint and inter-

cessor of our parish, which is ex-

plained in detail by Deepak Wil-

son. On August 5th our community

was blessed with the visit of His Ex-

cellency Dr. Jacob Mar Barnabas as

he offer Holy Mass and gave an in-

spiring homily about our spiritual-

ity, theological relevance, splendor

MONTHLY EVENTS

Newsletter Volume 4 Issue 3

2.00 PM Sunday School 4:00 PM Prabatha

Namaskaram

(Prayers before

Holy Mass) / Confessions

4.30 PM Holy Qurbono

(Holy Mass)

Contact Information: Fr. John Kuriakose,

222 Ridley Blvd,

Toronto, ON, M5M 3M6

Tel: (416) 485 7781 [email protected]

Sunday Liturgy

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

St. Mary’s Mission Toronto

St. Eugene’s Chapel◊13 Regina Avenue◊Toronto, Ontario◊M6A 1R2

www.stmarysmalankaracatholicchurchtoronto.ca

[email protected]

Inside the Issue

Nativity of Mary 2

Convention 3

Bishop Visit 4

6

Saint of the

Month

Kid’s Korner 7

September 2012

© St. Mary`s Malankara Catholic Church Toronto

1st - Youth Retreat

3rd - Adult Retreat

Ettu Nombu Prayer Meets

4th - East @ Appukuttan & Jincy’s

Residence

West @ Saji & Laly’s

Residence

5th - East @ Rajesh & Bindu’s

Residence

West @ Regi & Jessy’s

Residence

6th - East @ Wilson & Shirley’s

Residence

West @ Teny & Asha’s

Residence

7th - East @ Babu & Valsa’s

Residence

West @ Mathew & Sheela’s

Residence

15th - Monthly Parish Prayer

Meeting @ Vinoy &

Jemini’s Residence

29th - Women’s Prayer @ Alex

& Omana’s Residence

Month of Mother Mary’s Nativity

a n d a n a b u n d a n c e

of apostolic faith that the Syro-

Malankara Catholics holds. From

August 9th-12th the North Ameri-

can Malankara Catholic Conven-

tion took place in New York. The

Convention was phenomenal and

a rewarding experience for many

people. The Convention had

many spiritual activities and ex-

cellent speeches which you are

led through by Isabel Mani. This

month we reflect on the life of St.

Vincent De Paul as illustrated by

Jonathan Mani. He describes the

works and accomplishments of St.

Vincent which have made such a

lasting impact on the world. Hope

you enjoy this month‟s bulletin!

May God bless you and your

family! Perunaal Ashamsagal!

The Editors

Parish Perunaal!

mailto:[email protected]




The key role of Mary, our

mother and greatest interces-

sor, is greatly acknowledged by

saints and fathers of the church.

We have utmost devotion to

Mary but we know little about

her birth and youth, most of

our information coming from

the apocryphal Gospel of the

Nativity of Mary (translated

from the Hebrew by St. Jerome,

A . D . 3 4 0 - 4 2 0 ) ,

the Protevangelium of St.

James (dated to ca. A.D. 125)

(The link to the Gospel of Mary

is attached at the bottom of the

page). According to the Gospel

of Mary, Mother Mary was born

to Joachim and Anna in the city

of Nazareth. Anna and Joachim

were dejected because Anna

was barren. At that time, being

childless was assumed to be a

curse from God. While Joachim

was offering prayers in the tem-

ple, the angel of the Lord ap-

peared to Joachim and told him

that Anna would conceive and

bear a child, just like Sarah, at her

old age. The angel told Joachim

that the baby would be conse-

crated by God to do great things

and that they should name the

baby Mary since she would beget

the saviour of the world. Mary

was consecrated by God and was

conceived and born without

Original sin. The Feast of the Na-

tivity of Mother Mary is impor-

tant in our church because it is

one of the three birthdays in the

Church Calendar — the Birth of

Jesus (December 25), the Birth of

John the Baptist (June 24) and

the Birthday of Mary. On Septem-

ber 8, we celebrate the Nativity of

the Blessed Mother Mary. The 8

days of f ast ing f rom

September 1st leading to this

feast is known as Ettu Noimbu.

Fasting is given a prime signifi-

cance in the Syro Malankara

Church following the example of

Jesus Christ and of the apostolic

community. Fasting does not only

mean “not eating”. Fasting takes a

lot more effort and commitment. In

fact, early spiritual fathers and

apostles found great joy in fasting

and viewed it as a “medicine which

cured their mind and soul and thus

helped them to lead a virtuous life

and attain eternal life. “In our spiri-

tual battle, fasting protects us and

equips us with power, and trains

our body and mind for the battle.

In order for fasting to be truly fruit-

ful, it has to be accompanied by

humility and an open heart. As a

parish under the name of our

blessed mother, during this time of

Ettu Noimbu, we must make it to a

priority to attend the daily

Novenas/evening prayers which

are being held at different houses

starting on September 1st. These

prayers will help us to grow closer

to our Mother and seek her

intercession in our daily lives.

Deepak Wilson

For the Gospel of Mary: www.fisheaters.com/goslofmary3.html

http://www.fisheaters.com/gospelofmary3.html

http://www.fisheaters.com/gospelofmary3.html

http://www.fisheaters.com/protoevangelium3.html

http://www.fisheaters.com/protoevangelium3.html





This year, God brought all mis-

sions across North America to unite once

again through the 8th Malankara Catho-

lic Convention! I am sure many of us can

say it was filled with many inspirational

talks and social gatherings in which we

w e r e a b l e t o m e e t o u r

brothers and sisters in christ.

This event started off with the

inauguration ceremonies and we were

blessed to have the presence of

the Major Archbishop Catholicos, His

Beatitude Moron Mor Baselios Cleemis,

His Excellencies Most Rev. Dr. Thomas

Mar Eusebius, Most Rev. Joseph Mar

Thomas, Most Rev. Vincent Mar Paulos,

and Most Rev. Samuel Mar Irenios, and

the Vicar General, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Peter

Kochery, and Very Rev. Augustine Man-

galath. Following the inauguration cere-

monies was a concert, conducted by Rev.

Fr. Stan Fortuna. He was not only seen as

an inspirational speaker, but an unique

priest as well, due to his passion for rap-

ping about Jesus Christ, our Lord,

while using his musical talents to mak-

ing his music live on stage with guitar

and an assortment of other instruments.

Fr. Stan has definitely touched the lives

of many youth not only from Toronto

Mission, but from those in America as

well. He sang about F.A.M.I.L.Y, which

stands for Forget About Me, I Love You,

and there is no celebration like one that

is Catholic as well as about the amazing

divine peace and love

we can re ce ive f rom God .

During this convention, there

were many talks for different aged

groups. Rev. Fr. Cia Joy spoke about liv-

ing our faith in the midst of peer pres-

sure. Peer pressure is when others influ-

ence us to take a certain action or adopt

different values. Although peer pressure

can be positive, Fr. Cia only spoke of the

negative thoughts that go through one's

mind when they are making a decision. If

we do not carry the rosary and the Bible

everywhere we go, the evil forces will

always surround us. When we fall into

one of their traps such as peer pressure,

they will continue to use our bodies for

the destruction of others. They corrupt

our minds and tell us to convince the

world that homosexuals and their life-

styles should be accepted and marvelled

at, that church is irrelevant; out of date

and that the Bible is naive. These evil

spirits would have complete control over

our body, and they would dull the minds

Catholics and make them believe that

prayer is not important, and that faithful-

ness and obedience are optional. Unfor-

tunately, peer pressure can influence us

to do wrong deeds; which will eventually

lead up to the destruction of one's soul.

For the older youth, Colin

Nykaza, Director of Young Adult Out-

reach Archdiocese of New York, talked to

them about the Theology of the Body.

Usually his talks are about 2 hours long,

but somehow, he was able to introduce a

background to this great work of Blessed

Pope John Paul II, explain and summarize

the Holy Mystery of the Trinity, and it's

awesome reflection in the marital and

sexual union of male and female, and

make us come to the realization of both

the core of Satan's attacks and the core

of the longings of the human heart, in

about 50 min. The Theology of the Body

is a compilation of 129 homilies during

John Paul II's first 5 years as Pope. It's

premise is that God can be found in and

glimpsed in all creation, but especially in

human beings and their relationships.

Continued on Page 5...



When a sheep wanders in an unknown land,

there is nothing more of a solace than seeing its own

shepherd. Likewise, for the Syro Malankara community

in Toronto, who have migrated from their motherland,

the visit of His Excellency Dr. Jacob Mar Barnabas was

a refreshing and replenishing experience to each of

our soul. The St. Mary‟s Malankara catholic community

of Toronto is grateful to God for giving us this oppor-

tunity.

His Excellency Dr. Jacob Mar Barnabas offered

Holy Mass for the community on August 05th, 2012.

The holy mass offered was a moving experience, and

threw light upon the spiritual bounty, theological rele-

vance, splendor and rich apostolic

faith the Malankara liturgy upholds.

His apostolic message included

words of divine inspiration that

touched the hearts of the members

in the community. Aware of the fact

that he was addressing a community

living far away from their roots, he

included in his message, a return to

the early days of the Malankara

Catholic Church in Kerala. Its humble

beginnings and small numbers were

no match to the unfailing and zeal-

ous faith of its forefathers.

His Excellency reminded us that today as the

Malankara Catholic Church stands as an autonomous

Major Archiepiscopal church, behind all the blessings

there are prayers and sacrifices of many, especially

that of our Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios. Re

-introducing us to Mar Ivanios Pithavu‟s spirituality

and apostolic exhortation was a key highlight of

Barnabas pithavu‟s visit. As the leader of the aposto-

late called “Suvisesha Sangam” His Excellency ex-

tended an invitation to all the lay people in the com-

munity to revisit and examine each of their calling to

work for God and in spreading the Gospel message in

the surrounding where we live. He emphasized that

we need to ask ourselves if we have been able to lead

our life as a testimony to our catholic faith, and

whether , we, through our life as a Malankara

Catholic have been able to win a soul for Christ.

His Excellency Dr. Jacob Mar Barnabas has ex-

tended an invitation to those who feel a divine inspi-

ration to come and take part in the „pathayathra‟ con-

ducted every year during the month of July in com-

memoration of the death anniversary of Servant of

God Archbishop Mar Ivanios with a reminder that all

those who take part in it have never been left without

any spiritual rewards. For all these years the

pathayathra‟ has been a very blessed experience

for many and has helped many partici

pants respond to their call of voca

tions in an appropriate manner and

have felt the intercessory power of

Servant of God Mar Ivanios in their

life.

St. Paul says as mentioned in the Acts

of Apostles (Acts 20:20): “I did not at

all shrink from telling you what

was for your benefit, or from teach

ing you in public or in your homes.”

Likewise, His Excellency spent a few

days in Toronto and spent time telling

us what was of benefit for us in our

journey of faith and filled in us a new zeal for the faith

we hold and a renewed hope for our eternal life in

communion with God. The Malankara catholic faithful

in Toronto, thank our blessed Lord for giving us this

opportunity. Along with our best wishes for His Excel-

lency Dr. Jacob Mar Barnabas we also pray for bounti-

ful blessings and mercy of our God to be showered

upon this faithful shepherd of the Syro Malankara

catholic church, and entrust all his missionary work in

the northern parts of India to the immaculate heart of

our mother Mary, and the incessant intercession

o f S e rv ant o f G od M ar I v an ios .

Rajesh Jacob


© St. Mary`s Malankara Catholic Church Toronto © St. Mary`s Malankara Catholic Church Toronto



...Colin spoke of the Trinity as this holy

and incomprehensible union of love, and

about the marriage language used in the

Bible and in Liturgy between God and His

people, or His Church; God who initiates,

humanity/the Church which accepts and

reciprocates, and brings forth new life. In

the relationships of human beings, Man is

an echo of God's initiation, Woman, an

echo of all of humanity/the Church, and

children, the new life brought forth. We

realized that the brokenness of humanity

rises from Satan's distortion of this human

dignity, and that is why he attacks the sex-

ual union so much — because the one

thing all of us long for is

love and dignity, but he makes us

search in the wrong places.

We also had a panel discussion in

which we discussed prospects and chal-

lenges of Syro-Malankara Catholic Eccle-

sial Life in America. We heard a few words

from Alex John, Jocelyn, Fr. Saji Mukoot

and Joseph Mar Thomas. Jocelyn deliv-

ered a clear message on the challenges

we face due to liturgy, faith and language.

Fr. Saji Mukoot discussed the role, assets,

visions, and challenges we face as Syro-

Malankara Catholics. Some of the assets

include: Catholic identity, support, tradi-

tion, canonical saints, clergy and religious,

relationship, infrastructure, and human

resources. Our visions include: catechesis,

vocation, Lay Apostolate, unconditional

support of the Church and Breaking down

Parochialism. Our challenges include An

Us Vs They Mentality, Finance, Church and

Faithful, Clergy, Self Sufficiency issues,

Lack of Ecclesial Vision, a "Go

with the Flow" mentality and an Outreach.

There was a session done by Jaisy Joseph

who spoke about what it means to be a

Catholic. I'm sure we can all remember the

great story our ancestors told us about St.

Thomas' visit to India. He preached the

word of God to others and developed

Christianity within Kerala. We need to ask

the Lord for grace, and once we receive an

experience with the Lord, we will be able to

preach the word of God to others just like

St. Thomas did. Everyone will have a differ-

ent encounter with the Lord, but we all

come together as one and share our ex-

periences. When God created humans, He

created them in His likeness and image.

Image is the reflection of God, who is love.

Likeness if when we actually become like

God, and we fulfill this potential to love

others unconditionally. When we love like

God loves, we become a true Catholic; sons

and daughters of Christ. Some of the prob-

lems that we discussed as being a Syro Ma-

lankara Catholic were peer pressure and

staying as faithful within our community.

Sadly, there are many youth who don't in-

teract wi th the church, when

one leaves, another does as well.

Some of adults from our parish got

the privilege to listen to a message by

Bobby Achan. One of the points he had

mentioned was "We know Jesus, but does

Jesus of Nazareth know us?" This can be

seen in our Bible, Mathew 7:23 "Then I will

tell them plainly, „I never knew you. Away

from me, you evildoers!'" We must know

our brothers and sisters in Christ and love

them unconditionally. We are aware of the

love Jesus has for us, and we know who He

is, but, we must create a personal bond

On the 11th, a bishop from the

Maronite Catholic Church, Bishop Gregory

John Mansour of the Eparchy of Saint Ma-

ron, Brooklyn, was with us for Holy Qur-

bono to give the homily and to talk to the

older youth. As a bishop of a fellow East-

ern Rite, he commended us on facing our

struggles in the West, and reminded us of

our duty and purpose here. When talking

to the youth, he also focused on the The-

ology of the Body, using analogies from

Genesis to Revelation. He talked about

Adam and Eve and how their purity al-

lowed them to love, not lust, and how the

fall brought sin and changed their rela-

tionship. They were to be 'helpmates', side

by side - that is why Eve was created from

Adam's rib, not a bone from his foot or

back or hand. He talked about the restora-

tion of dignity to humanity in the coming

of Christ, in the 'yes' of Mary, and so on.

The Apostolic Papal Nuncio, His

Grace Most Rev. Carlo Maria Vigano, was

present with us from halfway through the

day. As the representative of the Pope in

the United States, after the procession

welcoming him, His Excellency Most Rev.

Dr. William F. Murphy and our bishops

and during the Public Meeting, he intro-

duced and explained the events of the

upcoming Year of Faith.

In conclusion, it is always a great

time when we reunite with our fathers and

our brothers and sisters in Christ because

there “ain‟t no party like a Catholic party”.

We hope to see even more of

our family together next time!

Wilson John, Nisha Thomas, Isabel Mani

with Him, and spread joy and peace

throughout the world.




St. Vincent de Paul was born in Pouy, France on April 24, 1581 to a peasant family of farmers. After his

father noticed his peculiar intelligence, he was sent to receive education from the Cordelier Brothers at Dax.

When he had been at school for four years, a lawyer engaged in his education and paid for his student ex-

penses. He continued education in Saragossa, Spain and returned to France to attend University of Toulouse.

At the age of 24, he was ordained a priest by the bishop of Perigueux. He remained in Toulouse however, to

pursue a Doctorate in Theology.

Upon completing this, he embarked on a trip by ship from Marseille to Narbonne. The trip was short

lived however, as the ship was raided by Turkish pirates. All the wounded, including Vincent, were chained and

sent to Tunis, where they were sold to the highest bidder. Vincent was bought by a fisherman but following

his death, he was sold to a renegade Christian man. This man, who was a convert to Islam, had three wives.

One of the wives took interest in Vincent and his religious background and commonly asked him to sing Bibli-

cal texts for her. After many instances like this, this wife approached her husband and asked him to renounce

his current faith and turn back to Christianity. The man repented of his sins and returned to his previous faith

and soon after, travelled with Vin- cent to Rome where he entered the

order of the Brothers of St. John of God. This was Vincent's first in-

stance of evangelisation and it was to be the turning point of his Chris-

tian journey.

Vincent returned to France where he eventually became a cardi-

nal. Father Berulle, who was cur- rently founding a branch of the Con-

gregation of the Oratory in France, found for him a curacy at Clichy.

There he tutored children of all ages. The countess, Madame de

Gondi, was so impressed with him that she eventually chose him to

be her spiritual director in 1612. He later began to preach to the peas-

ants of her estate, and regularly scheduled times for reconciliation.

Madame de Gondi also persuaded Vincent to preach at the local parish

of Folleville. He helped to build new spirit in the community and in-

stituted a habit of regular worship. By 1625, the Congregation of the

Mission had begun to emerge. Ex- tensive as his previous work was,

Vincent continued to help suffering people. He started con fraternities

in every parish to seek out and care for the sick. With the help of Louise de Marillac, he founded the Sisters of

Charity. He also gathered groups of noble and wealthy Parisian women to collect funds and help those less

fortunate. Additionally, he founded a few hospitals which were created to help people living and working in

the run-down gallows of France. He would also help men who were considering the vocation of priesthood by

conducting various spiritual exercises and prayers. 1618 marked the start of the Thirty Years War. Upon hear-

ing the misfortunes of people affected by the war, Vincent collected alms for them in Paris. He also sent mis-

sionaries to other countries affected by the war such as Africa.

As such, St. Vincent de Paul's later years became a series of spiritual accomplishments. In the midst of

great suffering and uncertainty, he never strayed from God and continued to help people in need. On Sep-

tember 27, 1660, St. Vincent de Paul died calmly in his chair at the age of 79. He was canonized by Pope

Clement XII in 1737 and he is the patron saint of all charitable societies.

Jonathan Mani




Date Candle 1 Candle 2 Marbahasa 1 Marbahasa 2 Bell & Readings Thurible

Sep 9, 2012 Alexi Cyrus Isaac Jerome Deepak Lynn

Sep 16, 2012 Anugrah Aaron Alexi Alvin Neil Sebin

Sep 23, 2012 Cyrus Alvin Aaron Sarath Christopher Lynn

Sep 30, 2012 Aaron Isaac Cyrus Alexi Samson Sebin

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast Day

September 8th

Commemoration of Ecclesial Communion of

the Malankara Church Reunion Day

September 20th

Anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination of His

Excellency Thomas Mar Eusebius,

First Apostolic Exarch of North America September 21th

September 2012

Documents

Transcript of September 2012