THE BEGINNING

First Annual Report of the Parish Published in 1951

Kalyan Mar Thoma Syrian Church is one of the parishes outside Kerala belonging to the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, which has its headquarters in Thiruvalla, Kerala.

During the period of 1930-1940, many Syrian Christian members, including Marthomites, who had migrated to Mumbai from Kerala, began forming prayer groups and congregational worship services. Through their persistent efforts, a Mar Thoma parish was established in Mumbai in November 1940—the present Mumbai/Dadar Mar Thoma Parish. This was the first and only Mar Thoma Parish serving the entire Mumbai city and its suburbs, including Kalyan. The place of worship was Holy Redeemer Anglican Church, Dadar.

Due to the difficulties in attending services and fellowship gatherings in distant Mumbai, a few Marthomites residing in and around Kalyan formed a prayer cell. The first prayer meeting was held on December 28, 1950, at Karnik Road, along with members of other Christian denominations. Subsequently, a representation was submitted to the Metropolitan on May 12, 1951, requesting an independent parish in Kalyan.

Meanwhile, with the permission of the appropriate Sabha authorities, the first Holy Communion service in the Malayalam order was celebrated by the late Very Rev. P. J. Thomas of Ankola on June 17, 1951, at St. Christopher's Church, Kalyan. His Grace, the late Most Rev. Dr. Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan, through a Kalpana dated August 10, 1951, granted sanction for the formation of a separate Mar Thoma parish in Kalyan. The first Holy Communion service as a parish was celebrated on Sunday, August 19, 1951, at St. Christopher's Church, Kalyan, by the late Very Rev. C. G. Alexander, the then Vicar of Mumbai, who was concurrently appointed Vicar of the Kalyan parish.

On this occasion, we remember with gratitude the help and guidance given by the late Very Rev. C. G. Alexander, the late Rev. T. M. Mathai of Kirkee-Pune, Mr. George Alexander (later ordained as a priest of the Mar Thoma Church), and many members in and around Kalyan and Mumbai who provided leadership for the formation of the Kalyan Parish. We continued our worship services at St. Christopher's Church, Kalyan, until December 1968.

CHURCH BUILDING AT KARNIK ROAD

Dedication of the Church at Karnik Road

As the years passed, the Marthomite community grew in number, and we felt the need for our own church building. We raised funds through various sources and purchased, on an ownership basis, our worship place at Karnik Road, which we named Mar Thoma Centre. By 1968, this hall was ready, and the first Holy Communion was celebrated on December 12, 1968, by the late Valia Metropolitan, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom. This place was dedicated on February 9, 1969, by His Grace himself.

OUR NEW CHURCH AT MHASOBA MAIDAN

Current Church Building in Kalyan West

Due to the space constraints caused by the growing congregation, and also to revitalize our social service projects, we decided to acquire a larger space. For this purpose, we acquired a piece of land in April 1984 at Mhasoba Maidan. There, the foundation stone for a multipurpose building was laid on January 18, 1987, by the late Metropolitan, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma (the then Diocesan Bishop).

With the sincere cooperation of all our members, our sister parishes, as well as friends and well-wishers, the first phase, the ground floor, was completed and dedicated to the glory of God by the late Rt. Rev. Geevarghese Mar Athanasius (the then Diocesan Bishop) on March 31, 1990. The first Holy Communion service at this church was celebrated by His Lordship himself on Sunday, April 1, 1990.