Seagoe Parish partners with Indian Church
Seagoe Parish has entered into a partnership with the Mar Thoma Indian Church to help them serve their members in the area.
With Bishop David’s blessing, the church will hold occasional Sunday afternoon services in St Gobhan’s and from time–to–time host events in the Parish Centre.
The partnership became official in late June when the rector, Canon Terence Cadden, welcomed Revd Stanley Mathew John, Vicar of Belfast Mar Thoma Congregation and his congregation to Seagoe for their inaugural service. In total almost 100 people attended and members of Seagoe Parish served refreshments to the congregation afterwards.
Terence commented: “Revd Stanley and his congregation are lovely, gracious, humble people and it is our privilege to be able to share our buildings with them. We look forward to mutual engagement in each other’s activities as we live out our lives in this community. One of Revd Stanley’s families has been involved with us in Seagoe for many years and we are delighted they initiated the conversation that resulted in our congregations coming together in this way.”
Mar Thoma Church is one of the ancient Churches in the world. It is traditionally believed that the disciple of Jesus Christ, St Thomas (Mar Thoma in Syriac), visited India in AD 52 and established the Church in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. The Church is in full communion with the Anglican Communion, Church of Ireland and England and is a member of the Churches Together in England (CTE), Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and World Council of Churches (WCC).
The Church has members who currently meet in Cloughfern Parish, Belfast but it is keen to expand to plant this new congregation in Seagoe to minister to the many Indian members who live in the area.