May 2009

Dearly beloved in Christ,

Thank you very much for your active participation in the annual general body meeting. I congratulate the 2008 committee and the property committee for their hard work especially in connection with the roof works. If the weather keeps good the roof repair works will be over within two weeks, Then we have to go for other improvement works. Congratulations to those who have already paid their contributions for the work. Few are paying by installments. Now the time is up to pay next installment. Those who haven't' started paying yet, please do the needful. We all have to work together with a vision. The General body has noted the efforts to reduce the office expenses by the last committee. We all have to make efforts to reduce all the expenses. We have to pay for power, gas, water, heating oil and even for the drinking water. If we carefully use all these we can reduce at least a little. Several small drops make the flood.

Also it was reminded in the general body about our hereditarily giving. In our mother parishes we give voluntary contributions at the time of sacraments like wedding, baptism and so on. Now a days many are trying to avoid by saying one or other reason 

Also it was reminded in the general body about our hereditarily giving. In our mother parishes we give voluntary contributions at the time of sacraments like wedding, baptism and so on. Now a days many are trying to avoid by saying one or other reason or pay a least amount for name sake. The church is not printing money. If we make use of any facility of the church without paying our portion we are using others facility. In the Book of Malachi we read

          “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How do we rob you?, In tithes and offerings. You are under curse - the whole nation of you because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, says the Lord almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord almighty.”

(Malachi 3:8-12)

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