Volume 2 Issue 5 May 2011 St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic … Bulletin_2011_05(May).pdf ·...

Go and Tell….

May I wish you all a Happy Easter and may the Risen Lord be with you al-

ways and walk with you all every step of the way…

We are in the Easter Season. As a new community of believers, perhaps we also might feel

that we are like the early Christians for whom the experience of the last week of Jesus’ life on

earth was totally riveting and life-changing. This is the very the first year that, as a Community,

we were able to celebrate the most important events of our faith, in our own Rite. (A special

“THANK YOU!” to all who organized these events and to Fr. Joseph Elampara and Fr. Tony for

officiating at these events.) As we celebrated, for the first time in our own Rite and language,

Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the very kernel of our liturgical

life, we were in the very same position as that of the Apostles and others for whom also it was “a

first,” the “life-transforming experiences” of the Holy Week of Jesus.

Therefore we also, like the Apostles and the early Christians, must be inspired and empow-

ered by the same the spirit and message of Easter. The Resurrection narrative in Matthew (Mt.

28,1-20) gives the urgent message three times: “Go and tell the others..”. It is because the Apos-

tles and the early Christians were so empowered and commanded by the Risen Lord that we are

Christians today. Thus St. Thomas traveled all the way to India and “told” our ancestors about

the Risen Lord and became our “Father in Faith,” and hence we are the Syro-Malabar Catholics

today. As we celebrate the Paschal mysteries of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection, we too

are given the same mandate: “Go, tell the others the Good News ….” It is our challenge and our

mission. Tell the Good News, not only in words but with our life, not only to the members of our

own community but to all around us!

Next Sunday (May 1, 2011) is the Feast of St. Thomas, our Father in Faith “Puthunjayar.” It

is also Divine Mercy Sunday. This year, the coming Sunday is also significant because of the

Beatification of Pope John Paul II on that day; hereafter he will be Blessed John Paul. Like St.

Thomas and Blessed John Paul, let us also be inspired to bear witness to the Mercy of God as we

experience it here and now.

May you all have a wonderful Easter Season…

Fr. Mathew Punchayil

(Mission Director)

F r o m t h e D i r e c t o r ’ s D e s k

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 14640 Soucy Place, Centerville, VA-20120

St. Jude Syro-Malabar

Catholic Community of Northern Virginia Mission of Greater Washington

Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago We gather for worship, Sunday school and other activities at

May 2011 Volume 2 Issue 5

Weekly Mass: Sundays at 3:00 PM Sunday School: Sundays at 2:00 PM

Mission Director:

Fr. Mathew

Punchayil

(301 873 7006)

Trustees:

Jilson Joseph

(703 599 6748)

Regi Alexander

(703 636 1995)

Our Vision is to create a vibrant Syro-Malabar community that nurtures spiritual growth, celebrates the sacraments, and fosters community ties and leadership.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From the

Director’s Desk 1

New to Our

Parish 2

Announcements &

Thank You (s)! 3

Calendar of Events 3

Our Faith : Saints,

Facts and Legends 4

Crowning Holy Mary

with

Spiritual Flores

De Mayo

5

Shalom: God’s Own

Ministry, A Miraculous

Journey 5

Parish News and

Updates 6

Our Community Retreat

Details 7

At your Service —

Advertisements 8

We extend a warm welcome to all our new members! Please contact the trustees or any council member if you

have any questions. Do also reach out to them to understand how to get involved and become active members

in the parish . To receive updates about our community and apply for membership, please join our email group

at :http://groups.google.com/group/NVA-SYROMALABAR. For up-to-date information, please visit community

calendar at http://www.my.calendars.net/nvasyromalabar.

The church is proposing to buy a sound system to be used during our weekly Mass. If you wish to sponsor in any-

way and help the church buy a sound system as a well wisher or an active member of our parish please

do contact our Trustees. If you wish to donate to church or contribute to church for any specific reason or even

have Mass Intentions, please contact the Trustees or Council members. Your contributions are greatly appreciated

and would be used towards introducing new activities or improving existing activities for kids, youth, choir etc. In

addition we are always in need of volunteers especially in the areas highlighted below:

Altar Service: The church is seeking volunteers for altar service. If you are interested in becoming an Altar Server,

please contact Mr. George Parappurath (703 981 8513) for further information.

Lectors: If you would like to be a reader at Sunday Masses, please contact Mr. George Manalel (703 631 4580) for

further information.

Music Ministry: Do you love to sing? Come, get acquainted with a great group of adults and kids. Have some fun!

No prior experience required. Please contact Mr. Shaju Joseph (703 901 6504) for further information.

Malayalam Classes: Proud to be a Malayalee? Come, help us teach our kids Malayalam this summer. Contact Mr.

Tomy Paul (703 470 0708) for further information.

Fellowship and Refreshments: Coffee and light refreshments will be served each week after the Holy Mass to

give everyone an opportunity to meet and greet fellow parishioners. To sponsor refreshments for our community,

please contact Mr. Sajith Thoppil (571 224 5067).

Parish Bulletin: We encourage you to contribute to our parish bulletin by way of articles, stories, or reflections

and bring your talent to the limelight. If you have one ready to publish or are planning to work on one, please contact

Mr. Charles Thomas (703 222 4682).

Advertising in the Parish bulletin: For advertising space in the parish bulletin, please call 703 599 6748 or 703

636 1995.

R e a c h o u t t o o u r C o u n c i l m e m b e r s

L o o k i n g f o r W a y s t o C o n t r i b u t e

Bejoy Thomas 571 218 9004

Charles Thomas 703 222 4682

George Alex 703 541 8213

George Manalel 703 631 4580

George Parappurath 703 981 8513

Jimmy Jose 703 437 5396

Johnson Myalil 703 464 0831

Jose Thomas 571 643 0833

Joseph Jacob 703 322 1434

Joshy Joseph 703 395 6749

Rani James 703 815 8920

Sajith Thoppil 571 224 5067

Saju Thomas 703 659 0874

Shaju Joseph 703 901 6504

Sujith Abraham 703 310 9985

Teji Manalel 703 779 8766


S t . J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C o m m u n i t y o f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a V o l u m e 2 I s s u e 5 P a g e 2

N E W T O T H E P A R I S H

http://groups.google.com/group/NVA-SYROMALABAR

http://www.my.calendars.net/nvasyromalabar


C a l e n d a r o f E v e n t s

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 2 I s s u e 5

A c c o u n t I n f o r m a t i o n

M o n t h o f A P R I L

Sunday Collections : $1568

Good Friday Collection : $ 538

Easter Sunday Collection : $ 1089

Total Collection Amount: $ 3191

For more information contact Mr Jojo Mathew (703 349 2921).

All your financial contributions to the parish are tax deductible and hence, in

order to receive acknowledgment for your contributions at the end of the

fiscal year, please make your contributions by check payable to

Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission of GW:NVC or if you are contributing

in cash, please enclose it in a sealed envelope with your mailing address.

Thank You

Refreshments: Special thanks to the parishioners from Leesburg and

Ashburn area for setting up the refreshments and cleaning for the month

of March. All parishioners from Aldie and South Riding are requested

to volunteer this month.

Sponsors for Month of March

We are grateful to Mr. Serjin John and Mr. Dilip Vadakkoot and

their families for sponsoring the refreshments for the month of

April.

E d i t o r i a l

B o a r d

Charles Thomas Sismi Menachery

Dilip Vadakkoot Smitha Regi

Neena Mathew Sony Kuruvilla

Article “Submission” Deadline

The deadline for submitting articles and

announcements for the bulletin for the

month of June is 21st June. If you have

questions, please contact Mr. Charles

Thomas (703 222 4682). A big

“Thank you” to all the contributors

for this month.

May Bulletin edited by Dilip Vadakkoot

June 4—5,

2011

Community Retreat

June 26, 2011 First Holy Communion and Holy

Confirmation

July 3, 2011 Dukhran

August 14,

2011

Celebration of the Feast of As-

sumption of Our Lady and Inde-

pendence Day

September

11, 2011

Onam Celebrations

September

17, 2011

Parish Picnic

October 30,

2011

Celebration of St. Jude’s Feast

and Parish Day celebration

December 3,

10, 17, 2011

Christmas Carols

December

25, 2011

Christmas Mass

January 7,

2012

Christmas and New Year Cele-

bration

S t . J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C o m m u n i t y o f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a

Sunday Readings

May 1, 2011

First Reading : Acts 2 : 42-47

Second Reading : 1 Peter 1 : 3-9

Gospel : John 20 : 19-31

May 8, 2011

First Reading : Acts 2 : 14, 22-33


Gospel : Luke 24 : 13-35

May 15, 2011

First Reading : Acts 2 : 14a, 36-41

Second Reading : 1 Peter 2 : 20b-25


May 22, 2011

First Reading : Acts 6 : 1-7



May 29, 2011

First Reading : Acts 8 : 5-8, 14-17



The members of St. Jude Syro - Malabar Catholic Community of Northern

Virginia expresses their sincere gratitude to Rev. Fr. Matthew Punchayil,

Rev. Fr. Joseph Elamparayil and Rev. Fr. Anthony Mannarkulam for

celebrating Holy Mass and homilies and also for their spiritual guidance for the

month of April.

NB: Pls do share your suggestions regarding this article for our children with Fr. Joseph at [email protected]/ 703 999 4179



St. Paul wrote: “You are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). As

members of the Catholic Church, we are members of the family of saints. One of the many ways of knowing our

family of faith is to know the stories of our saints. St. Ambrose said: “The life of the saints is the norm of life for

all others.” Stories of saints are often fascinating for all, especially for the children. This column is prepared for

our beloved children in our community. Dear boys and girls, you may learn the ABCs of our faith by reading Our

Faith: Saints, Facts, and Legends. Always ask questions about saints. Save this page and memorize the fasci-

nating facts about saints for an annual Quiz. Remember, great prizes are saved for the Winners.

OFL8: Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara

· In the inspiring story of St. Alphonsa, we have learned that in December 1936, Sr. Alphonsa was cured from her sickness through

the intercession of Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavara. Fr. Chavara was beatified along with Sr.Alphonsa by Pope John Paul II during

the first Apostolic Pilgrimage to India at Nehru Stadium, Kottayam on February 8, 1986.

· Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born on Feb. 10, 1805 of God-fearing parents Kuriakose Chavara

and Mariam Thoppil of the Syro-Malabar Church, at Kainakary, near Allappuzha, Kerala. He was

baptized on the 8th day in Chennankari Parish Church, Alappuzha. He attended the village school

(Kalari) for his primary education. To become a priest, he began studies with the parish priest of

the church of St. Joseph. At the age of 13 in 1818 he entered the seminary at Pallipuram where

Malpan Thomas Palackal was the Rector. He was ordained a priest on November 29, 1829 at Ar-

thunkal and celebrated his First Holy Mass at Chennankari Church.

· After the ordination Fr. Chavara was engaged for some time in pastoral ministry. However, he

soon returned to the seminary to teach. There he joined Malpan Thomas Porukara and Malpan

Thomas Palackal when they were planning to found a congregation. They approached their Bishop

for his blessing and permission. The Bishop replied: “If you who are among the few learned go for hermitage who will teach the

people.” This made them rethink and plan to found a religious congregation according to the directives of the Bishop, with pas-

tors' duties as the basic focus.

· After almost two years of searching for a fitting place, they found the hill of Mannanam, where Malpan Porukara laid the founda-

tion for the first religious house on May 11, 1831. The Bishop Msgr.Maurelius Stabilini, Malpan Palackal, Blessed Chavara and

over fifty priests and hundreds of lay people attended. The community life was started on June 18, 1840 under the leadership of

Malpan Porukara, Fr. Geevarghese Thoppil and Blessed Chavara. On December 8, 1855, under the leadership of Blessed Chavara

eleven members made their first vows and they called themselves Servants of Mary Immaculate of Mount Carmel. In 1861 the

new congregation was made third Order of the Discalced Carmelites by the Bishop of Verapoly. Then the congregation was

known as Third Order of the Carmelites Discalced (T.O.C.D. or Ka.Ni.Mu.Sa.). In 1959, when the new constitution was ap-

proved, the name of the congregation was changed to Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (C.M.I).

· Blessed Chavara was the Prior General of all the monasteries of the C.M.I. Fathers from 1856 until his death in 1871. In 1861 a

schism threatened the Church of Kerala with the arrival of Mar Thomas Rokos. He did not have proper credentials from the Pope.

Blessed Chavara was appointed the Vicar-General of the Syro-Malabar Church by the Arch-Bishop of Verapolly and took effec-

tive leadership in thwarting Thomas Rochos’ intrusion and saving the church of Kerala from schism.

· On January 3, 1871, Blessed Chavara died at Koonammavu Monastery in Kochi, preserving his baptismal innocence. His mortal

remains were later transferred from Koonammavu to Mannanam in 1889 and enshrined in the St. Joseph’s Monastery church. His

memorial is celebrated on January 3.

· Blessed Chavara worked to renew the faith in the church. He was a man of prayer with a devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin

Mary. He was also the pioneer of Catholic education and tried to do away with the caste distinction in Kerala. He made it possible

for all the children, irrespective of caste creed, to sit together and study. He was dedicated to the education of young people, both

in faith and knowledge. His sayings are famous for their practical wisdom:

“The Children who have love of God and fear of God, will love and respect their parents.”

“Let your friends be those who love God.”

“Keeping of bad books is like hiding fire in straw.”

Our Faith : Saints, Facts and Legends - FR. Joseph Elamparayil, OCD

mailto:[email protected]


“For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Mathew 19:26). Origin and growth of the Shalom ministry is a perfect example of

the fulfillment of this word of God. Shalom is God’s dream materialized when the human spirit humbly volunteered to be His instrument.

Shalom Ministry was founded by Mr.Benny Punnathura in 1989, under the great inspiration and guidance from the Lord, as a small prayer group, in a

remote village, in Kerala State, India, which did not even have electricity. God gave it a vision - a vision to spread the Word of God through mass media

and to intercede for the whole world with an aspiration to save souls. The realization of this vision started with the launch of a Malayalam monthly magazine

"Shalom Times" in the year 1993. Since then this magazine has been catering to the spiritual thirst of the Malayalees with powerful articles by anointed

people of God. Today it has become one of the leading Christian magazines in India. To reach out to the non-Malayalees, especially to people outside

India, "Shalom Tidings," an English magazine was started in the year 1996. It is a bi-monthly magazine carrying a hallmark of international quality and

style in printing and presentation with articles rich in spiritual nourishment. Towards initiating unity in the Church and to support it in every possible way,

Shalom started the Sunday newspaper ’Sunday Shalom’ in the year 1999, which has presently completed twelve years of publication. This is the first

Sunday newspaper in Malayalam and through these years it has earned an influential position in the Church of Kerala through its pages.

―Shalom TV‖ was launched in March 2004 as a full time gospel channel with preaching, family related programs, programs for the kids and youngsters.

People are cancelling their social activities to watch Shalom TV! It has been a great privilege for Shalom TV to associate with EWTN with respect to content

sharing for Shalom Television. Today, it has grown to a 24 x 7 Catholic TV Channel, which is broadcasted to 126 countries, including the U.S.A. Shalom

Television, broadcasted in Malayalam became available in USA, three years ago, intended for the Keralites residing in USA. It is a great miracle of God

that Shalom TV has been able to cater to the spiritual needs of God’s people for almost 7 years without any advertisements and without any monthly

charges.

……. Continued On Pg 7

P a g e 5 V o l u m e 2 I s s u e 5 S t . J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C o m m u n i t y o f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a

The month of May is traditionally dedicated to Holy Mary in many cultures. There are many ways to cele-

brate this particular devotion. May crowning, in which a statue of Mary is honored with a wreath of flowers

to indicate Mary's virtues, is very popular in the United States.

In my growing up years, we used to hold a May altar in our home. We used to decorate a statue of

Mother Mary with available flowers and candles and recite the Rosary and Vanakkamasam (a month long

prayer to Holy Mary) in front of the statue, as a family. We got the tradition of holding a May altar from our

maternal grandfather. He was a great devotee to Holy Mary and always wore a brown scapular around his

neck. The scapular was an outward sign of his trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was always so confi-

dent that our Lady would use her powerful intercession with her Divine Son Jesus to obtain for him special

graces to live a good Catholic life and remain in the state of grace. I also heard from my mother that my

grand father had experienced Mary’s intervention many times in his life while he was working in his fire

works company. I am pretty sure that he also got Mary’s help during the time of his death and life there-

after.

Every year in May, we all try to honor our mothers in different new ways. So we can’t neglect our heavenly mother Mary in May because as our

Mother she is a beautiful gift from Jesus. Remember, on the day of his death he entrusted his mother to us - he turned to his mother and said, Behold

your son, and to the beloved disciple, Behold your mother.

How can we show our love to Mary in the month of May? First of all, if family members, especially kids are not familiar with Mother Mary, we can

introduce Mary to them. We can all wear a Rosary or a scapular to show our friendship and respect to our Mother. Setting up a May altar in our homes and

praying the Rosary will definitely bring some special blessings to our family. Instead of a family day out to our favorite restaurant, we can pay a visit to a

famous Marian Shrine or Church named in her honor. Also, the more we imitate the mother of God, the more deeply we get to know God.

So let us all imitate the virtues of our Mother by praying the “Chaplet of the Ten Evangelical Virtues of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary” through out this month.

In addition, paying a visit to an old age home, cooking for the needy or cooking for a pregnant woman who is having difficulty with cooking, giving some

help to a new mother and her new born baby or even reconciling with an old family member with whom we were having any issues etc. could be some of

the ways to show our affection to our heavenly Mother. If she was humble enough to go all the way to help her cousin Elizabeth for three months, we also

can serve one of our brothers or sisters for a day. Thus let us all give a big treat to our Mother Mary this month and crown her with our good qualities and

virtues.

SHALOM: God’s Own Ministry, A Miraculous Journey - Joseph Jacob

Crowning Holy Mary with Spiritual Flores de mayo - Roslyn Tomy

Parish News and Updates



The Holy Week (Latin: Hebdomas Sancta or Hebdomas Maior) is the last week of Lent that starts

on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday.

Our community‟s very First Palm Sunday service started at 3 pm on 17th April and was led by

Rev. Fr. Anthony Mannarkulam. It commenced with the liturgical service followed by the

blessing of the palms in our refreshment or fellowship hall. The palms were distributed and the

congregation was led by Fr. Anthony in a procession to the Church. At the end of the service,

the community was treated to some delicious „Kozhukatta‟ volunteered by the women‟s forum.

The Maundy Thursday service on 21st April started at 7 pm in the Multipurpose Hall on the second floor of St. Andrew‟s Lutheran

Church and it was led by Rev. Fr.Joseph Elamparayil. The ritual of the „Washing of the Feet‟ consisted of 12 youth members

dressed in suits. After the mass, there was the traditional “Appam Murikkal” in which an elder member of our community was re-

quested to break the “Pesaha Appam” which was then distributed to everyone with “Pesaha Paal ”.

The Good Friday service on 22nd April started at 7 pm and was led again by Rev. Fr. Joseph Elamparayil same as Maundy Thurs-

day venue. The Passion of the Lord was celebrated with everyone participating whole heartedly .It was followed by the recital of the

“Stations of the Cross”. The service concluded with the “Veneration of The Cross” after which everyone was offered „Kaipa Neer‟

or bitter gourd juice reminding us of the suffering of the Lord.

The Easter Sunday service celebrations started at 9 am on April 24th at the Boyd School Hall and were led by Fr. Joseph

Elamparayil and Fr. Anthony Mannarkulam. The Easter Sunday celebrations concluded with the Easter Egg Hunt for our kids who

had turned up with their baskets to collect the Easter Eggs. Our community was also treated to some delicious „Vattayapam‟ prepared

by our community members.

Our very first Holy Week celebrations were a grand success due to the whole hearted participation of all our community

members. We were fortunate to have our very own Sound System on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday services. We

wish to thank the Women’s Forum for treating us different traditional delicacies prepared during the Holy Week.

Holy Week Celebrations - Jophy Jose

On April 17,

after mass, the youth of

St. Jude NVA Syro Mala-

bar Catholic Church gath-

ered for our first youth

gathering. On this Sunday

evening, nine youth mem-

bers gathered to deepen their relationships with each

other and with God. Through a series of sessions and

small group activities, the youth explored various aspects

of the Universal Church and our role as leaders in serving

Christ and his Church. For many of the youth, it was the

first time they were able to spend quality time to-

gether. During the evening, the youth participated in

multiple group activities and also shared dinner. Overall,

it was a great experience for our youth and we hope to

continue to gather on a monthly basis. Please keep our

youth in your prayers.

Our Community’s First Youth Gathering WORD SEARCH FOR KIDS



Shalom: god’s own ministry, A miraculous journey …….. Continued from Pg 5 -

Now, Shalom Ministries include intercession, publications, television channel, and media training school. As there are no ends or limits to the possibilities

of God, Shalom continues to grow under the guidance of the Lord at every step. Shalom Ministry has grown to several countries including the USA and

Shalom Media USA is a nonprofit organization registered in USA and its office was opened in McAllen, Texas, in 2010. Shalom’s vision and prayer is to

“let God’s love touch and transform the hearts of the people in this country.”

“Sunday Shalom U.S. Edition,‖ weekly, was also started in 2010. It is the single Church Newspaper widely read among the believers of the Syro-

Malabar, Syro-Malankara, Latin, Orthodox, Jacobite communities. This newspaper has become the voice of the Church in many problems and crises; it is

going to be the common voice of the Malayalee Christian communities in USA. With its editorials that serve as a prophetic voice to the Catholic Church

and its believers, it has become one of the most noted Christian publications of the time. It has an approximate readership of about three lakhs.

―Shalom Festival‖ is a joyous celebration of Christ’s love where all benefactors and well-wishers of Shalom Ministries including Shalom readers and the

viewers of Shalom Television come together in prayer, worship and solidarity. It is a time of grace for everyone who attends the Festival. In 2011, the

Shalom Festival will be conducted in eight U.S. cities including Philadelphia. Shalom Festival of Philadelphia is at St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic

Church on July 14 – 17. Everyone is invited to attend and experience the never changing love of God and attain what our Father has in store for you

through Spirit-filled praise and worship, soul searching music, sharing of prominent preachers, great testimonies and adorations that take you to the gates

of heaven. There will be a separate program for the youth and teenagers. Baby sitting is available on a limited basis.

For registration and more details, visit: www.shalomus.org/philadelphia.php

Or please contact, Joseph Jacob @ 703 623 9137

OUR COMMUNITY RETREAT DETAILS

http://www.shalomus.org/philadelphia.php

CUSTOM BUILD KITCHEN

CABINETS & GRANITES

Basement Finishing,

Home Theater, Remodeling

and Addition.

Contact

Mr. Tony Palack (Babu)

703 989 3410

703 362 3663



Volume 2 Issue 5 May 2011 St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic … Bulletin_2011_05(May).pdf ·...

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