Queens Parish Establishment

Parish Establishment, Queens The St. Basil’s Syro-Malankara Catholic Mission in Queens was canonically established as a Parish in the Syro-Malankara Catholic Exarchate on Sunday, January 8, 2012 by His Excellency the Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Mar Eusebius, bishop of the Exarchate. The parish establishment decree was read out by Rev. Fr. Sunny Mathew, the Vice-Chancellor of the Exarchate during the solemn celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided over by the bishop. The bishop handed over the decree to Rev. Fr. Satyan Antony OIC, the Pastor, Mr. Geevarghese Mathew, the Secretary and Mr. M.J. Mathew, the Treasurer of the Parish. Rev. Frs. George Onnoonny, Rev. Fr. Sunny Mathew, Rev. Fr. Abraham Lukose and Rev. Fr. Satyan OIC, the Pastor of the parish concelebrated in the Eucharist. Later, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Peter Kochery, the Vicar General of the Exarchate and Very Rev. Fr. Augustine Mangalath, the Chancellor of the Exarchate and former vicar of the St. Basil's parish joined the celebrations. It was also the celebration of the feast of the Patron Saint of the Parish, namely St. Basil the Great. In the afternoon there was a cultural program presented by the children, youth and the other parishioners. This community was started in 1998 and since then it has grown considerably numerically and also in terms of strong faith witnessing.