April 2009

Dearly beloved in Christ,

We are coming to the climax of the Lent period. I  urge you my parishioners to set apart time for reflection and self examination with fasting and prayer to remove even our small sins. Usually we may be cautious enough to stay away from major sins, the so called deadly sins. But there are several insignificant sins and weaknesses which we take for granted, but those can stunt our spiritual growth. Again I remind you - “man stumble on stones, not on mountains”. Every year we celebrate Easter, but we do not live as if the celebration is a reality. We continue to live in bondage because the message of the resurrection has not penetrated into our lives. We observe Easter and go through the religious exercises. But live as if Christ is dead. The resurrection of Christ becomes real to us only when we undergo the experience of being risen with Christ. “If you have been raised with Christ seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth”– Col.3:1-2.  Only when we undergo the experience of being crucified with Christ we will experience the Power of His resurrection. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ  lives in me; the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me” Gal:2:20. The real proof of the resurrection today is not the empty tomb or the post resurrection appearances, but the living testimony of Christ’s followers. So let us become the living testimonies of Christ.

WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY EASTER.

May the Almighty bless each one of us.

Yours in His Service,

Babu Achen

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