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
revjmj@yahoo.co.in
 

 

Vicars of the Past Quarter Century
(including Vicars of the Mar Thoma Congregation of Greater New York)


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