The 115th feast of St Gregorios, saint of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, was celebrated with religious fervour at the famous St Paul’s and St Peter’s Church at Parumala on Thursday.
Hundreds of believers belonging to different sections of society offered prayers at the saint’s tomb attached to the church. Believers from different parts of the State undertook their annual pilgrimage to the saint’s tomb on Thursday.
St Gregorios, whom the believers reverently call Parumala Tirumeni, is the first native saint canonized in 1947.
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Geevarghese Mar Coorilos Metropolitan led the holy Eucharist at the Parumala Seminary chapel at 6.30 a.m.
Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Baselius Marthoma Paulose II was the chief celebrant of the holy tri-mass celebrated at the church at 8.30 a.m. Mathews Mar Themotheus Metropolitan and Zacharias Mar Aprem Metropolitan were the co-celebrants. The Catholicos also delivered the benedictory speech on the occasion.
The large congregation of devotees on the seminary premises was blessed by the Catholicos and other Metropolitans from the balcony of the church later.
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MGOCSM meet
The annual meet of the Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Students Movement (MGOCSM) was held at the seminary auditorium later.
The Catholicos inaugurated the meet. Addressing the meet, the Catholicos said the Church always stood for peace. But the peace should be stable and permanent, he added.
The annual church festival as well as the celebrations in connection with the saint’s feast came to close with the holy rasa procession taken out from the church in the afternoon. Seminary manager Fr M.C. Kuriakose brought down the ceremonial flag on the holy mast, marking the culmination of the church festival.