Brahmavar Orthodox Diocese


The Brahmavar Diocese is one among the 30 dioceses of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The diocese was created in August 2010 by H. H. Baselios Marthoma Didymos I. H. G. Yakob Mar Elias is the current Metropolitan of the diocese. The head office is located in Mount Horeb Bishop's House, Nanthoor, Mangalore, Karnataka

History

The diocese was created in August 2010 by H. H. Baselios Marthoma Didymos I by Kalpana no 389/2010.
It was a counsel of Malankara Association's Managing committee held on 3 August 2010 and recommended by Holy Episcopal Synod in same date.
H. G. Yakob Mar Elias became the first Metropolitan of newly formed diocese with its headquarters at Mangalore.

Features

The key feature of this diocese is the Konkani Orthodox Community and their clergy. It is the first non Keralite community in the Malankara Orthodox Church under the mission of St. Alvares Mar Julius Metropolitan of Ceylon-Goa and Rev Fr. Roque Zephrin Noronah. The diocese has parishes in Kannur & Kasaragod districts, South Canara, Udupi, Chikmagalur and Coorg districts, state of Goa and in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. The major languages used in the liturgy are Malayalam,Konkani, Tulu, English and Hindi.

Now

Parishes

Currently, there are 35 parishes in diocese. 16 churches each in Kerala and Karnataka, 2 in Goa, 1 in UAE. 11 parishes have more than 50 families. There are 2800 families in this diocese. The tomb of Metropolitan St. Alvares Mar Julius is situated in St. Mary Orthodox Church, Panaji. St. George Orthodox Church, Ichilampady, St. Mary Orthodox Cathedral, Brahmavar and St. George Orthodox Cathedral, Abu Dhabi are some of the major parishes in the diocese. There are 9 chapels under which six belong to the Konkani community and the rest belong to the Malayali communities. There are also active Konkani congregations in Mandya, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kuwait and the U.A.E. There are students ministry in the diocese.

Priests

Now there are 29 priests with one Cor-Episcopa and Ramban in this diocese. Teaching ministry is also a feature in this diocese.