Priests from around world flocked to Coral Springs. Here’s what they celebrated
After six months of preparation, priests from across the globe gathered in Coral Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 18, as part of a 25-year anniversary celebration surrounding the founding of the first Syro-Malabar Catholic archidocese in the United States.
“We’re not only celebrating our blessings, but we’re heading into really thinking about what is the next 25 years look like,” said Father Melvin Mangalath Paul, a priest who works with youth in the Chicago area.
“We want to enter into this period of mission, in being able to say, what is the Syro-Malabar Church’s role in America today, and how is it going to sanctify, reach into hearts that can really draw back to Jesus?”
The Syro-Malabar church is part of the Catholic faith and adheres to many of the same structures — deference to the Pope, for example — but is also self-governing, with its own body of bishops and archbishops, as well as the ability to incorporate Indian music and dress into services.
Religious historians trace the church’s origins to modern-day Kerala, a state in southern India. According to tradition, St. Thomas, one of Jesus’ original disciples, arrived around A.D. 50 and founded the first church there, which spread Catholicism throughout the region.
Over half of the Syro-Malabar church’s 4.53 million congregants still reside there today. The total makes it the second-largest Eastern Catholic denomination, following the Ukranian-Greek tradition.
“They started from scratch here,” Bishop William Wack told the Coral Springs News during the celebration at the Our Lady of Health Catholic Forane Church. “It’s just awesome to see it start from really nothing to this.”
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