Diocese to Celebrate Catholicate Day on Sunday April 6 ,2014

Note from the Diocesan Metropolitan :

Dear Respected Achens,

As you all know, the 2014 Church Day - Catholicate Day is to be celebrated this Sunday, April 06, 2014. This is an important day for us to remember our church, which is founded upon the apostolic throne of St. Thomas the Apostle, and also the Catholicate that was re-established in India. You should have already received the Catholicate Day Kalpana from Bava Thirumeni, as well as the 2013 Catholicate Day Report and the special Catholicate Day prayer. Please take care to do the things as instructed by Bava Thirumeni in that Kalpana.

Regarding the Catholicate Day collection for 2013, the target for our Diocese was set at 65 lakh (6.5 million) rupees. However, we only managed to give 19.7 lakhs, well short of the target. As you all know, the effort of the Achens and parishes in Kerala is very great in trying to achieve the Catholicate Day targets and that should be a model for us.

From 2014 onward, for the dioceses in America, the requirement for Catholicate Day collections has increased to $100 per family. Though we are far away in America, we are very much part of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, which incurs huge expenses for day-to-day functioning. Our Church has also embarked on some ambitious charity projects, details of which are attached. It is our responsibility to help support our Church and show our commitment. We love our Church and are ready to lay down our lives for it. So, let us continue to support it financially.

Most importantly, we must pray for our Church as it continues to face many challenges in Kerala as well as outside of it. Let us take the initiative to sincerely pray the Catholicate Day prayer this Sunday and to conduct the Church Day - Catholicate Day celebrations in a befitting manner.  Let this Holy week observance be a blessed experience for us all.  I specially pray for all my Achens of our growing diocese for God's providence and blessing to lead the Holy Week services so that our faithful can prepare well for a blessed Passover and a meaningful experience of the passion and a life giving Resurrection. On this special day, please also pray for me and for the growth of our Diocese.

May God bless all of you and your valuable ministry.

Your shepherd in Christ,

Mar Eusebius