Ordination of Deacon Jobin Thomas to the Priesthood

Deacon Jobin Thomas was ordained a priest for the Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in the USA and Canada on Saturday, November 16 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada by His Excellency the Most Rev. Dr. Philipos Mar Stephanos. Present on the occasion were also His Excellency Thomas Mar Eusebius, the Bishop of Parassala, His Excellency Jacob Mar Barnabas, Bishop of Gurgaon-Delhi, and His Excellency Bishop Jose Kalluvelil, the Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Mississauga. Also present were Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas Kalarathil, the Directory of Clergy Personnel and Chaplaincy for the Archdiocese of Toronto, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Peter Vaccari, the newly appointed president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and Rev. Fr. William Cleary, the interim rector of St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, where Deacon Jobin Thomas had studied. There were also many priests, reverend sisters, and lay faithful from across the Eparchy who attended this event. Fr. Jobin Thomas is the third priest to be ordained from the Eparchy, and the first priest from Canada. Around 700 people participated in the liturgical celebration. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in the USA and Canada extends heartfelt congratulations and prayerful best wisher to Father Jobin Thomas.