The journey from a small prayer group to an accepted Congregation and then as a Parish of the Mar Thoma Church within a few years time, has been remarkable and filled with blessings. It was a far-off vision of many believers in the Atlantic province, to be able to worship in their own denomination, but that came to fruition by the Almighty’s grace.
A scenario of immense immigration was seen in the Atlantic Provinces of Canada during the COVID pandemic times. Nova Scotia led by Halifax witnessed an influx of many new families moving to the East Coast. The small Malankara community was growing with many Mar Thoma families joining from across Provinces and other parts of the world.
During the late Fall of 2021, the present Vicar of the Toronto St. Mathew’s Mar Thoma Church, Milton Rev. Sunil Chacko offered to provide spiritual as well as organizational support for establishing a full-fledged Mar Thoma Congregation as many students and families from cities closer to Halifax mainly in Moncton (New Brunswick), had a sizable strength of Marthomites. The affinity grew stronger with people connecting from other adjoining cities & towns like Saint John, Sydney, Bridgewater, Lunenburg and Chester. Additionally, kids were also able to join the online Sunday school conducted by the St. Mathews Mar Thoma Church.
The growth of the congregation continued with frequent online prayer meetings which soon transpired into a first in-person meeting in June 2022. The Congregation under Rev. Sunil Chacko’s leadership was able to hold a maiden Mar Thoma Holy Qurbana Service in the Maritimes on the Thanksgiving Day of October 10, 2022 with a participation of more than 80 communicants.
With the steady growth of family memberships in the prayer group, Diocesan Bishop of North America and Europe, Rt. Rev Dr. Issac Mar Philoxenos Episcopa officially approved the Halifax Mar Thoma Congregation on December 20, 2022.