Rev. Fr. K.G. Philipose
WELCOME! Welcome to the web site of the American Diocese of the Indian Orthodox Church! We are glad that you are here traveling through the information superhighway. This web site is a humble, but sincere attempt not only for publicity but also a means of witnessing our Christian calling and Orthodox way of life. This web site endeavors to give specific details about the American Diocese and the Indian Orthodox Church and the Diocesan activities in a nutshell. When you are here even if only for a few minutes, it is our sincere hope that this may become a new experience, add a new dimension of knowledge or awareness about our diocese, and/or an invitation to contribute in whichever way possible to the common benefit of the "Diocese and Church". We hope that you will visit us more often.
Lord Jesus Christ began His ministry by calling a select group of men with a call to action "Come and Follow Me". These men became His disciples receiving first-hand training. Later they became His apostles continuing His ministry traveling to unknown towns with languages foreign to them and most of them became martyrs for His cause. The founder of our Church, St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles was a vibrant disciple with very distinct traits. He was courageous (John 11:7-16), he was curious to ask and learn from his master (John 14:5-6), and he expressed a doubt for a good cause so that Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a fiction (John 20:25-29). There is every reason for a member of the Indian Orthodox Church member to be proud to be called a St. Thomas Christian. St. Thomas, our father traveled the longest and ran a race with vibrancy and vigor and was martyred in India. As St. Thomas Christians, we have a great mission by answering His call "Come and Follow me" and complete His mission initiated by our Church founder.
To follow Him means to live according to His standards and walk the path leading to eternal life. Life on earth is temporary, only an infinitesimally small part of a continuous journey with a clear goal which is a life in eternity with our heavenly Father. St. Paul reminds us: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you" (1 Corinthians 3:16). When we come in the presence of our merciful God, we become aware of our sinfulness and ask forgiveness from Him. Our pursuit in life is being united with our "Lord and God". Church is that sacramental unity and our life on earth becomes meaningful when each and everyone of us consider ourselves as part and parcel of the same "Body of Christ". A Diocese is a microcosm of the Church. A Diocese is not a few buildings or its physical assets. A Diocese has a goal to lead its members to the Heavenly Father with a clear vision and preparing them as a worshipping community with Christ as the head and all others as parts of the Body. The poor, the desolate, and the disadvantaged also belong to "the Body" just like the rich and famous; taking care of the whole Body is our mission.
The Indian Orthodox Church completed 1950 years of existence in India and abroad. Our Lord has a reason when He brought us in this country of opportunities to be a beacon of love, faith, and hope to those around us. Our Church members worshipped here for more than 4 decades and we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the American Diocese. But, we are still in our infancy. Under the spiritual guidance and direction of our metropolitan, His Grace Mathews Mar Barnabas, God is doing wonderful things in this Diocese. We are in the midst of acquiring a bigger Diocesan headquarters. We are confident that He will help us in achieving this objective, for He is good and He knows what we want. I also welcome your inputs and prayerful support in this endeavor.
I consider it a wonderful privilege and a great honor to extend a warm welcome to this web site representing the whole Diocese and the Diocesan Council. This is your web site. We need all the help we can get to update the web site on a regular basis and to maintain and upkeep as technology changes. If you are an IT professional, please e-mail me with your inputs and assistance ds@indianorthodoxchurch.org If you have an article or worthwhile news to be published, please e-mail it to me ds@indianorthodoxchurch.org We pray that this undertaking be blessed with His blessings and guidance.
May God bless us abundantly with His blessings as He called us and drew us near through our lives and our talents! Everything we have is His gift!
Rev. Fr. K.G. Philipose,
Diocesan Secretary
New York
