Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Mar Thoma Church to celebrate `navathy' of Mar Chrysostum

Staff Reporter

Union Minister to inaugurate year-long fete on April 27

A leaflet released by the Mar Thoma Church on the Navathy Home Project.

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar has made elaborate arrangements to celebrate the 90th birthday of Philipose Mar Chrysostum, the supreme head of the Church, on April 27.

This was announced by the Suffragan Metropolitans of the Church Joseph Mar Ireneus and Zacharias Mar Theophilus at a press conference held at the Church headquarters in Thiruvalla on Friday.

Union Minister for Planning M.V. Rajashekharan will inaugurate the year-long Navathy celebrations at the Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma auditorium in Thiruvalla on April 27.

Mar Ireneus will preside over the meeting. Major Archbishop of the Malankara Catholic Church Baselios Mor Cleemis Catholicos will deliver the benedictory speech. Changanacherry Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil Zacharias Mar Theophilus Suffragan Metropolitan, Chief Editor of the Malayala Manorama K.M. Mathew, Minister for Transport Mathew T. Thomas, MP P.J. Kurien, Geevarghese Mar Athanasius Episcopa and Church secretary Fr. K.M. Mammen will address the gathering. Mar Chrysostum will deliver the reply speech.

Housing project

Mar Ireneus said the Mar Thoma Church Council had decided to build 1,500 houses at an estimated cost of Rs.9 crore for the homeless poor belonging to different sections of society as part of the `Navathy Home Project.'

Though the project was aimed at supporting 1,500 needy families above all religious considerations, the Church would try to extend its support to more families in the coming years, Mar Theophilus said.

He said the Church had received 3,500 applications seeking a house under the housing scheme as on March 31. Applications continued to pour in even after the cut-off date, he added. The houses would be constructed at a cost of Rs.60,000 each and handed over to the beneficiaries by April 27 next year, Mar Ireneus said.

Mar Theophilus said the Mar Thoma Metropolitan would hand over the key of the first house constructed under the scheme to its beneficiary at Budhanur, near Chengannur, on Saturday afternoon.

Photo exhibition

The Department of Sacred Music and Communications (DSMC) of the Church would organise `Viewfinder,' a photo exhibition on Mar Chrysostum, at the VGM Hall on the SC Seminary Hills on April 26 and 27. Mar Chrysostum would inaugurate the exhibition on April 26, said Fr. Sajan P. Mathew, DSMC director.

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