Thousands offer prayers at saint’s tomb at Parumala

The faithful from different parts of the State thronged St. Paul’s and St. Peter’s Church at Parumala to offer prayers at the tomb of St. Gregorios on Tuesday.

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is celebrating the 114th feast of St. Gregorios, the first canonised Indian saint, at the Parumala church on Wednesday.

The Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II will be the chief celebrant of the holy Eucharist at 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The annual church festival will come to a close with the holy rasa in the afternoon.

Pilgrim processions leading to Parumala were seen on almost all roads in the district on Tuesday.

Devotees of St. Gregorios served light refreshments, tender coconut, medicated drinking water, tea, coffee, and fruit juice to the Parumala-bound pilgrims erecting tents on either side of the road leading to Parumala, making it their humble offering to the saint.

The Catholicos, accompanied by other metropolitans, blessed the believers’ congregation from the balcony of the church in the evening.

The Catholicos inaugurated distribution of a marriage relief fund of the Orthodox Church at a function earlier. Youhanon Mar Theodorus Metropolitan presided over the function.

Pilgrims’ meet

The Catholicos inaugurated a pilgrims’ meet and the 70th anniversary of the canonisation of Mar Gregorios in the afternoon.

K.S. Radhakrishnan, former Public Service Commission Chairman, delivered the keynote address. Mathews Mar Savarios, Youhanon Mar Chrysostomos, and Zacharias Mar Anthonios, all Metropolitans of the Church, spoke.