The St.Thomas Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church, is the first Jacobit Syric Orthodox church in the western Canada.The new parish was inaugurated in Calgary on Sunday 18th July 2010. The Parish is inaugurated with the permission and blessings of the Diocesan Bishop, Archbishop H.E. Mor Titus Yeldho ,
Our Mission
Ezekiel 34:16 “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed. . ."
Oh how easy it is to get lost! With our cell phones and iPads, our 24-hour news cycles, there’s virtually nowhere to go for a moment of peace and quiet.
That’s where our Church comes in. We provide a holy place of respite in the tumult of life. So come, put aside the cares of the week and find yourself in the presence of God.
Who We Are
The Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church is the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East. He also presides over the Holy Synod, the assembly of all Bishops of the Church (Jacobite Syriac orthodox Church)
The local head of the Church in Malankara (India) is the Catholicose of India. The Catholicose is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch and is accountable to the Patriarch, the Holy Synod and the local Malankara Synod. He is consecrated by the Patriarch and presides over the local Holy Synod in India.
The local head of every archdiocese is an Archbishop. He is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch and is accountable to the Holy Synod. The Archbishop is ordained by the Patriarch and at least two Bishops. Some Archdioceses are ‘Patriarchal Vicarates’; the Patriarchal Vicar, regardless of ecclesiastical office, is accountable directly to the Patriarch. The Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church in North America is a Patriarcal Vicarate directly under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch and All The East. The Archdiocese is under the spiritual care of Archbishop His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho who is the Patriarchal Vicar.
Each parish is assigned a vicar. He is under the direct jurisdiction of his Archbishop and is directly accountable to him. The parish is run by a board of trustees (or a committee) which is elected by the parishioners and approved by the Archbishop.
Deacons assist the Archbishop or Priest in the administration of the liturgy.
There are three ranks of priesthood in the Syriac Orthodox Church:
Episcopate: Within it there are the ranks of Patriarch, Catholicose, Archbishop, and Bishop.
Vicarate: Within it there are the ranks of Chor-episcopos and Priest or qasheesho.
Deaconate: Within it there are the ranks of Archdeacon, Evangelical-Deacon (M’shamshono), Subdeacon (Apodyaqno), Reader (Qoruyo) and Singer (Mzamrono).