September 2007

Dearly Beloved in Christ

Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As a parish we have entered into a new month. When we look back, last month was a very special month in many ways for all of us. India celebrated its 60th Independence Day with great joy and admiration. For Kerala, it was the Malayalam New Year and the people of Kerala celebrated the festival of Onam in a meaningful and significant manner. For us, also it was a month of spiritually nourishing. Each organization had their own spiritual gatherings, conferences and retreats. Junior/Senior conference, parish convention, Sevika Sangham retreat, Youth retreat and Regional convention were all well arranged and well attended. By the grace of God, we were blessed with spiritually filled speakers in all of these mentioned meetings. Each and everyone got a chance to re-dedicate themselves to the mighty hands of God. I praise God for all those who had taken a leadership role in all these meetings.

In Jeremiah 8:20 we read, “the harvest is past, the summer has ended and we are not saved.” This is a metaphor, perhaps an ancient proverb, about helplessness. Grains are harvested from April till June, and fruits are harvested at the end of the summer. If nothing is reaped by then it means a lean hard winter, with little or no food, is ahead. Proverb 10:5 says, “He who sleeps during harvest is a disgraced son.” In another version “a son that causeth shame” . Harvest is the time to gather crops. The unchanging Word of God was abundantly given to us through his ministers. The bible tells us what is right and what is wrong. The Word of God also tells us how to become right with Him, how to reconcile with Him, how to overcome temptations and so forth. The Word of God is our instruction manuel and has guidelines for our lives. It does not tell us how to make a living but how to live! I hope that all of us are blessed in this spiritual harvest.

May God bless each of us with His Words.

Your in Christ’s love,

Rev. P. E. Mathew

Rev. P. E. Mathew (Vicar)

We are blessed to be under the pastoral guidance and leadership of Rev. P. E. Mathew as Vicar of St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church NY. Achen's native place is Kallooppara and Laly Kochmma is from Varikkadu, Tiruvalla. They have one son, Eby, who is finishing his BSc in Mangalore.

Achen and family had been in the Karnataka Missions Field (Hoskote, Mundugod, Sirsi Sankeshwar, Kunta) for several years and then served in Kerala. The last parish they ministered at was in the Sultan Bathery and Nilambur area.

email Rev. P. E. Mathew at
babuachen@yahoo.com 

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 - April 2007