January 2005
Dearly Beloved in Christ, Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ The year 2004 wishes to say good bye. Let us enter the year 2005 with much expectations and hopes – hope born of faith. Our task is to work with our Lord to bring life in its fullness. Life is God’s gift and life is to be lived with God. The purpose of life is to live in accordance with God’s will. It is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Jesus Christ brought to the world a newness of life. As believers in Christ, we are saddened by people’s inability to see the finger print of God everywhere in the world (Psalm 19). Many also do not believe that God has revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ (Hebrew 1:1-3). They disagrees with the scriptures which declare that the light of the knowledge of God’s glory shines in the savior’s face (2 Cor. 4:6) and with our Lord’s positive declaration, “He who has seen me has seen the father” (John 14:9). If the Lord has opened the eyes of our understanding so that we believe in Him, we can only humbly thank Him for His grace. As parish, we are led by the power of the Holy Spirit in the past years. We need to be thankful to God for the abundant blessings received by the grace of God. Let us wake up and involve in life giving and recreating process through innovative actions. May God guide us in the New Year to work diligently in the process of finding fullness of life. Let us always be happy with the Lord. WISH YOU ALL A BLESSED AND HAPPY NEW YEAR Yours in Christ’s Love Jojan Achen |
Rev. Jojan Mathews John (Vicar)
We are blessed to be under the pastoral guidance and leadership of Rev. Jojan Mathew John as Vicar of St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church NY. Achen's mother parish in India is Kuttapuzha Varicadu Sehion Mar Thoma Church located inThiruvalla. Achen attended college at Mar Thoma College, Thiruvalla; completed his M. Phil. from Bombay and received a Bachelors in Divinity from Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam. Rev. Jojan M. John was ordained as a priest in the Mar Thoma Church on July 6, 1994 and has served as Vicar previously at Trivandram Quillon Diocese (Kovilloor , Mezhacodu, Melpalai and Kuttamala[Kulasekharam Center] ) for five years and Mar Thoma Church Thane, Mumbai for five years. Jojan Achen was the convener for Land for Landless project and council member of the Trivadram Quilon Diocese. He served also as the president of the 35th Western India Youth Conference in 2001, Mumbai. In his many roles Achen has served very well as an administrator, organizer, and is also a talented singer. Achen's wife is Mrs. Susan Mathews John BSc, BEd, and children, Vishakh John Mathews, age 5, and Vrindha Chinnu Mathews, age 2. Achen's father, Rev. V. K. John, is a senior priest of the Mar Thoma Church.
Jojan Achen's Address in India is: Varikkamakkal House Chumathra P.O. Kuttapuzha, Thiruvalla 689103 Phone: 0469-2601424
email Jojan Achen at |
Vicars
of
the
Past
Quarter
Century
|
||
Mar Thoma Congregation of Greater New York |
||
Rev. Oommen Koruthu | (Student
Achen
later
elevated
as Bishop Zacharias Mar Theophilus) |
May 1975 — Aug. 1975 |
Rev. K. S. Mathew | (Student Achen) | Sept. 1975 – Sept. 1977 |
Rev. Thomas P. George | (Student Achen) | Sept. 1977 – Aug. 1979 |
(Late) Rev. M. V. Benjamin | Sept. 1979 – May 1981 | |
St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, New York |
||
(Late)
Rev.
M.
V.
Benjamin |
Co-Chairman Ad-hoc Committee Church in formation | Oct. 1980 - Jan. 1981 |
Vicar | Jan. 1981 - May 1981 | |
(Late) Rev. K. J. Philip | Co-Chairman Ad-hoc Committee Church in formation | Oct. 1980 - Jan. 1981 |
Associate Vicar | Jan. 1981 - Aug. 1981 | |
Rev. N. M. Cherian | Vicar of all Mar Thoma Congregations in New York | May 1981 - June 1983 |
Rev. Dr. T. Jacob Thomas | (Student Achen) | |
Assistant Vicar | July 1981 - May 1983 | |
Vicar | June 1983 - Mar. 1985 | |
Rev. George Varghese | Mar. 1985 - April 1989 | |
Rev. Johnson Varghese | June 1989 - May 1992 | |
Rev. Dr. T. P. Abraham | June 1992 - May 1995 | |
Rev. P. M. Thomas | May 1995 - April 1999 | |
Rev. K. Y. Jacob | May 1999 - June 1999 | |
Rev. Thomas P. Chandy | June 1999 – May 2002 | |
Rev. Dr. K. A. Abraham | May 2002 - August 2004 | |
Rev. Jojan Mathews John | May 2004 - Present |