"The plans of the Lord stand firm forever; the purposes of his heart through all generations" - Psalm 33:11
This brief history is a 'looking back and a moving forward' with the firm plans of the Lord about the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mississauga.
The Syro-Malabar Catholics in Canada are a migrant community, with rich cultural and Catholic backgrounds. Although the faithful are scattered and settled among the several Canadian provinces and territories, they have maintained their faith and religious identity through their limited community connections and contacts with their mother Church, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India.
From 1960-1980, the majority of these communities were relying on the part-time pastoral services of priests from the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and other Catholic Religious Orders from India, who were serving in different Latin Catholic Dioceses of Canada.
We gratefully acknowledge the valuable guidance and support of the Archbishops and Bishops who gave their invaluable services to maintain the Syro-Malabar Catholic faith, and convey our gratitude to those priests who took care of the community.
From 1980-2015, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Community in Canada grew significantly in size, mainly due to population growth and the arrival of new Syro-Malabar Catholic immigrants from India and other countries.
Although the accurate number is not identified, based on available data, there are approximately 23,000 Syro-Malabar Catholics settled in Canada. We gratefully acknowledge the amazing generosity and pastoral support of all Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops of Canada.
August 6, 2015 is a memorable day in the history of the Syro-Malabar Catholics in Canada. It was on that day the Holy Father Pope Francis, "Desiring to protect and promote the spiritual riches of the Oriental Churches…", erected the Apostolic Exarchate for the Syro-Malabar Catholics in Canada and appointed Very Reverend Dr. Jose Kalluvelil as the Apostolic Exarch by the Apostolic Constitution "Spiritualem ubertatem".
The Episcopal Ordination of the Apostolic Exarch and the formal inauguration of the Syro-Malabar Exarchate took place on September 19, 2015 at the Church of Virgin Mary and Athanasius Canadian Coptic Centre by His Beatitude George Cardinal Alencherry, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.
Ever since the erection of the Syro-Malabar Apostolic Exarchate, we initiated our faith journey with specific Vision and Mission. Our main objectives are:
Based on the promise of Christ: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt. 6:33), despite the initial struggles, we could slowly build up the Exarchate from scratch, providing the faithful with all necessary pastoral care.
The Apostolic Exarchate for the Syro-Malabar Catholics in Canada was elevated to the rank of an Eparchy with the title of Mississauga by His Holiness Pope Francis on December 22, 2018.
The inauguration of the Eparchy and the installation of Mar Jose Kalluvelil were solemnized on May 25, 2019 by His Beatitude George Cardinal Alencherry, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, at St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral, Mississauga.
Let's thank God for this ineffable gift, a gift for the missionary zeal, hard work and coordinated efforts of all the People of God in this far-reaching country.
St. Thomas the Apostle, known as the "Apostle of India," brought the light of Christ to our land in the first century. We honor him as the patron of our Church and the source of our apostolic heritage.
