APOSTOLIC VISIT OF THE HOLY FATHER TO INDIA

APOSTOLIC VISIT of HIS HOLINESS IGNATIUS ZAKKA I IWAS,

The Patriarch of Antioch and all the East,

The Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Church

His Holiness in INDIA from October 17-29th, 2008

PUTHUPPALLY, OCT. 24: Another important function in which the imprints of Holy See of Antioch was stamped on Friday was the consecration of the St. George Church at Puthuppally. The consecration ceremonies that started under the leadership of Metropolitan Mor Thimotheos Thomas of Kottayam diocese and other bishops of the Church ended with the blessings of His Holiness the Patriarch with Holy Mooron. Thousand of faithful were present during the Holy consecration ceremony.

This is one church established by 150 odd families who were originally the members of the nearby big Church. It was the sufferings they faced which forced them to build this new church. Earlier they had right in the old church, but after the demolishment of one of the twin churches in the old church compound by some miscreants, these families owing allegiance to the See of Antioch had no other option other than to build a new church for worshiping and thus to safeguard the faith of their ancestors. With the consecration of this new Church by the Supreme head of the Holy See, it is a life-long dream of the parishioners that has been accomplished.

KOTTAYAM, OCT. 24: MANARACUD and surroundings virtually fell into a frenzy on Friday evening with thousands of ardent faithful rejoicing on the arrival of Patriarch Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas representing the Holy See of Antioch, in the famous Cathedral. The fervour and unfathomable joy of the faithful overflowed to the streets to greet the Patriarch and take him in a procession from the Manaracud Junction to the Cathedral. The reception followed by a cultural meet marked the finale of the two day tour of the Patriarch and entourage to places of importance for the Holy See in the Central Travancore belt of Malankara. A visibly overwhelmed Patriarch responded the love and affection showered upon him and stated that he is so glad that he could reach the famous shrine for a third time after assuming the Patriarch mantle, since 1982. He recalled the Mooron consecration undertaken by him in association with the late Baselios Paulose II Catholicos in tha year and later declaring the shrine as a Cathedral and Marian pilgrimage Centre in 2004. Catholicos Baselios Thomas-I presided over the function.

KUMARAKOM, OCT. 24: Participating in a public function held at Aattamangalam St. John the Baptist Jacobite Syrian Church at Kumarakom later, the Patriarch exhorted faithful to remain courageous in the thread of faith and maintain vigil against enemies’. Complimenting the late Punnoose Corepiscopa associated with the Aattamanagalam Church for the fervour with which he stood ground in the 1970 to protect the church, he said those were times when there was all round moves questioning the Holy See of Antioch.