Vicar’s Message

Dearly Beloved in Christ,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As a church that stands in the rich heritage of the Eastern Christian tradition, our spiritual life is deeply rooted in devotion, prayer, worship, and the rhythm of the liturgical calendar. The season of Lent is therefore a very sacred and meaningful time for us. It is a period given to the Church for self-examination, repentance, reconciliation, and confession of our sins so that we may begin a renewed life in Christ. Through prayer, fasting, and reflection, we prepare ourselves spiritually to take part in the solemn services of the Passion Week and ultimately to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection.

I humbly encourage all our parish members to make sincere efforts to participate in the Lenten worship services and prayers. Let us use this season as a time of spiritual discipline and renewal. I also take this opportunity to appreciate the sincere efforts of our Sunday School children and Youth League members who have been sharing the daily Lenten devotions with the parish. Their commitment is truly encouraging and reminds us that faith continues to grow in the hearts of our younger generation.

As a parish community, we are also grateful to God for guiding us in unity and peace. The recent parish elections that resulted in unanimous decisions for the various positions send a beautiful message of harmony and mutual respect within our congregation. Such unity is a testimony to our faith before the wider community around us. Let us continue to nurture this spirit of reconciliation, trust, and fellowship as we journey forward together as one body in Christ.

At the same time, I request your continued prayers and support for the “Space for the Future” Jubilee Project of our parish. This vision seeks to bring together every generation of our community. The center will create a welcoming space where elderly members can come together for recreation, fellowship, and meaningful social engagement, for children and youth to meet and play, and for the whole parish to assemble in fellowship and worship. It will also include classrooms for our Sunday School ministry. As we prepare to approach the city authorities for approval, I request all of you to keep this project in your prayers and to support it wholeheartedly.

We are also blessed that our diocese is preparing to host the Diocesan Family Conference in 2027 in the Chicago region. This will be a significant event for our diocesan family, and I request the prayers and cooperation of our entire parish as we move toward this important gathering.

With the beginning of the new administrative year, all parish organizations now have their newly elected office bearers and committees in place. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and prayers to the parish office bearers, executive committee members, organization leaders, and our Diocesan and Mandalam representatives. May God grant you wisdom, dedication, and strength to serve faithfully. Let us remember that all these organizations are ministries of the parish and not separate entities. Therefore, I encourage every organization to work together in unity and to consider the “Space for the Future” project as a common mission for the coming year.

I also request our executive committee and prayer group leaders to continue strengthening our parish life by organizing regular prayer meetings, encouraging house visits, and identifying the sick and needy among us. Kindly coordinate with the Vicars to ensure pastoral care for those who need it most. Please also ensure that families within each prayer group remain connected to the parish and that any pending subscriptions or dues are addressed with care and responsibility.

For the year 2026, we have prayerfully chosen the theme “Faithful Today, Hopeful Tomorrow.” Let this theme guide all our efforts and ministries. If we remain faithful today in the responsibilities entrusted to us, we can build a hopeful tomorrow for our children and future generations. May our lives and our parish witness lead many more people to experience the love and grace of Christ.

May God bless our parish and guide us in His peace.

With prayers and blessings,

Rev. Ashish Thomas

March 2026