Shroro:

Tsunami Relief Effort

by Thomas Daniel (Reji) and Thomas Abraham

The Syrian Orthodox Church and its Diaspora in Malankara is joining world wide relief, serving the victims of the massive earthquake disaster and Tsunami throughout Southern Asia, particularly in the costal area of Kerala state of India.

The Syrian Orthodox Church in Malankara is donating 1,000,000 rupees to the people affected by the recent disaster due to Tsunami waves. In a press announcement, Church Treasurer George Mathew Thekkethalakkal and Secretary Thampu George Thukalan informed that the 1st installment of this amount will be delivered to the Chief Minister’s emergency fund by the Catholicos H.B. Baselious Thomas I on 31st December 2004, during the closing ceremony of All Malankara Jacobite Syrian Convention at Puthencruz.

As the 1st installment of the pledged amount of 1,000,000 rupees to the Chief Minister’s Tsunami Relief Fund, Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church handed over 300,000 rupees to the Ernakulam District Collector. The cheque was handed over to the Collector by the Catholicos H. B. Baselious Thomas I in a public meeting, convened at the end of Puthencruz Convention.

On Sunday, 2nd January 2005, the Church organized special prayers for the deceased and victims of tsunami disaster, at all Malankara Churches. The Catholicos issued a special bull asking all Churches to donate the offertory on that day to the Church’s relief fund collection.

St. Mary's Soonoro Simhasana Church, Kochi, donated 100,000 rupees to ASIANET Tsunami relief fund on 01 January. The amount was received by the ASIANET representative from Mor Julius Kuriakose, Metropolitan of the Simhasana (Pontifical) Churches and Patriarchal Vicar for Indian affairs at Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.

As per the instruction of the Catholicos, the members of Church wings like ‘Seva Ministry,’ ‘Youth Association,’ ‘Mathamariam Vanitha Samajam,’ and ‘KEFA’ have already started humanitarian assistance work in the coastal areas where the disaster occurred. The team, under the leadership of Seva Ministry General Convener Prof. T.C. Thomas Thandasseril, visited the coastal areas of Alappuzha, Karunagappalli and Oachira, and started distributing food, medicine and cloth for the victims of the disaster.

Thomas Mor Themotheos, Metropolitan of Kottayam Diocese, lead a team of priests and representatives of different associations, and visited the disaster zones in the coastal areas. The Diocesan Secretary Very Rev. Kuriakose Kizhakkedath informed that the Diocese is organizing a unified meeting of representatives of all its associations on Wednesday, 3rd January 2005, at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Kottayam, for preparing a strategy and deciding on how to implement these programme for helping the tsunami victims. The Diocesan Metropolitan Thomas Mor Themotheos will be presiding this meeting.

Knanaya Diocese Metropolitan Kuriakose Mor Severios went to the control room at Kayamkulam and handed over the first installment of goods collected from the diocese i.e. food, medicine, cloth, bed and cooking vessels etc. worth rupees five lakh, to the Revenue Secretary T.K. Jose. Mor Severios was accompanied by the Diocesan Treasurer Com. T. O. Elias, Secretary Thampan Thomas, Knanaya Congress Gen. Secretary Sabu Thottunkal, Sister Hathunnai Dohan (Germany), Committee Members Alex Palakkuzhy, Sunil Kalluvettamkuzhi, M.A. Abraham Mattathil, Babu Palathra, C. Markose Karakkatt and T. Mathew Umacheril.

Mor Severios and the accompanying delegation also visited government’s various relief camps in the coastal areas. Donations for the relief works will be accepted at Mor Aphrem Seminary, Chingavanam, until 10th January 2005, informed the Diocesan Treasurer Com. T. O. Elias.

The Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, H. H Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas sent a message of sympathy and support to the government and people of India with regard to the loss of life and damage to property caused by the tidal wave. Through his Apostolic Bull, # No. E329/04 December 28, 2004 (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SOCM-FORUM/message/5647), the Holy father instructed the Faithful of all our churches in the Gulf Region to contribute according to their capability and send the same at the earliest to the Church relief fund in India.

Tsunami Relief Fund, A/C # 705507
State Bank Of Travancore
Puthencurizu Branch
Ernakulam District
Kerala, India

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