Weekly Newsletter-February 13, 2024

Weekly Announcements: St. Thomas the Apostle Syro Malabar Forane Catholic Church
4922 Rosehill Road, Garland, Texas 75043

  St. Thomas the Apostle Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church

Weekly Announcements,
February 13, 2024

Dear Parishioners,


1. Holy Qurbana Schedule

Sunday:

8:30 am: Holy Qurbana in Malayalam and CCD

10:30 am: Holy Qurbana in English

Weekdays:

Ash Monday, February 12th: Holy Qurbana at 8:30 am and 7:00 pm.

Tuesday through Thursday: Holy Qurbana at 8:30 am.

Friday: Eucharistic adoration from 6:00 pm to 6:50 pm, followed by St. Jude's Novena and Holy Qurbana. Confessions from 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm.

Saturday: Holy Qurbana at 8:30 am, followed by the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.


2. February 2024 Updates

  • The 50-Day Lenten Season will start on Ash Monday, February 12th. It is a day of fasting and obligation. Holy Qurbana will be at 8:30 am and 7:00 pm.
    • Ward meetings will be held during Lent. Your participation and co-operation are kindly requested. 
  • Bible Quiz: The second round of bible quiz will be on Saturday, Feb 17th, 2024, from 11:00 am CST to 2:00 pm CST (3-hour window). Candidates can take the quiz any time in between the scheduled time and the duration of the quiz will be one hour. To see if you are qualified, please click the link Bible Quiz, log into the website, and look for upcoming exams.
    • Eligibility is based on the following: Sub-juniors, Juniors, and Seniors: A score of 60% or above in the first round of the quiz. Adults: A score of 70% or above in the first round of the quiz.
    • Here are the designated books for the semi-final quiz: Sub-juniors, Juniors, and Seniors: Gospel of Matthew (28 Chapters, 75 Questions). Adults: Gospel of Matthew, Second Corinthians (60 Questions from Gospel and 40 Questions from 2nd Corinthians). If you have any questions or concerns regarding the quiz or the materials, feel free to reach out to the Bible Quiz Coordinator (Shijo Joseph) at (267) 984-7394 or email at shijo.joseph@syromalabarchurchdallas.org
  • General Body approved to proceed with the parking lot construction project and raise the needed funds. The estimated cost for the 100-space parking lot exceeds $500,000. 
    • Those families who haven't yet contributed to Parish Hall and Church construction are expected to contribute more to this project.
    • The rest of the families are requested to contribute a minimum of $1,000 or above for this project.
    • Those contributing $3,000 or more towards this project would have their names written on the designated parking spots, and those sponsors who prefer not to display their names also have that option.
  • There are other things to consider along with the parking lot project; create a walkway in front of the church for the feast procession, place a signboard with visible mass timing, and a playground. 
  • Payment for the parking lot project is due by February 29, 2024. We kindly request your cooperation and prayers as we aim to complete the project before our Parish Feast/Perunnal.
  • St. Thomas Feast Day (Thirunnal): The main Thirunnal will be celebrated from Friday, July 5th through Sunday, July 7th. 
    • We request the sponsors to coordinate all the Thirunnal celebrations and to consider the possibility of sponsoring either a signboard with visible mass timing or a walkway in front of the church for the feast procession.
  • Please include your church registration number in the check as part of the memo when you write checks to the church. 
  • Church/Parish Hall Booking: To secure a booking for the church or parish hall for various purposes, individuals must complete the necessary form from the parish trustees' office.
  • For year-end financial statements, please contact the Trustees.
  • Those who have not received the Chicago Diocese Bishop's Appeal envelope, please get it from the Trustee's office. Kindly cooperate. 
  • If you choose to make church payments via Zelle, please email payst.thomasgarland@gmail.com. In the email, include the purpose of the payment and your parish account number. This information will assist in identifying your payment and streamline the accounting process.


3. Upcoming Events 

  • There will be a retreat for middle school and high school students on March 2nd and 3rd Saturday, and Sunday, led by Fr. Melvin Mangalath, Chicago Youth Director, and his team. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.
  • St. Thomas High School Youth Camp 2024 Announcement: Exciting news for all our high school members! We are delighted to invite you to our Youth Camp. Camp Details:

Target Group: High School Youth
Location: Sabine Creek Ranch Royse City
Dates: March 8-11, 2024
Cost: $170 per participant

Registration & Inquiries:
For more details or to register, please contact: Akshay Michael: at (469)-465-7455 or Jeevan James: at (972)-375-8763.

  • Marriage Prep Courses: Fr. John Melepuram, Diocesan Family Apostolate Director, at  (215) 808-4052.
    • March 15th - 17th, 2024 in Dallas. For more details, please contact: Jokutty & Nancy, at (214) 507-9892.
    • Please click the link for details on all upcoming Marriage Preparation courses for 2024
    • For individuals seeking registered marriage, either here or in India for visa purposes, it is necessary to obtain prior approval from the Bishop of the diocese as per the Bishop's Synod directive. Please contact your vicar.
    • Mark your calendars for the 2024 Lenten retreat on March 22nd,23rd, and 24th. Fr. Sunil Aenekatt VC from Divine Mercy Healing Center in New Jersey will be leading the retreat.
    • Join us for a transformative one-day Catholic Marriage enrichment conference tailored for young couples! Experience a day of enrichment in faith, marriage, and parenting at our Church on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 8 am to 5 pm. For details and registration, click the link: Together in Christ. Please contact Jokutty & Nancy, at (214) 507-9892.
    • Seize the unique opportunity to participate in the 2024 Syro Summit: "Christ is our Hope," designed for youth aged 21-35, in Baltimore from June 27-30. Ensure your early reservation and become an integral part of this enriching experience. For details about this event, please click Syro Summit 2024.


    4. IPSF 2024: Inter Parish Sports Festival

    • IPSF 2024 in Houston: Mr. Cherian Churanadu and Mrs.Biji Edward have been appointed as coordinators for IPSF.
    • The IPSF parish-level competition schedule is on the church notice board. Please click the link to view the church competition dates. Please contact Mrs. Biji Edwards, at (214) 455-6133, or Mr. Cherian Churanadu, at (214) 729-2132.
    • There is an IPSF sign-up sheet in the Narthex for volunteering.

    5. Eucharistic Revival Updates

         For information on Eucharistic revival please click the link St.Thomas Diocese Eucharistic Revival


    6. Safe Environment Updates

         Effective safety programs begin with education and understanding.
         Please click the link to view this week's article on Conversations with Youth about Boundaries and Safety

    7. Additional Church related information

        Mathru Jyothis, Senior Ministry, Adult Bible Study, Prayer Ministry, Church and Hall Bookings, Sacraments for homebound, donation and        payments, etc. Please click the link to view additional church information


    God Bless You
    Fr. James Nirappel


    Church Main Office (972) 240-1100

    Kaikkarans (Trustees):
    Antony Nelluvelil (972) 533-7399
    Kurian Mannanal (972) 741-0103
    Mathew John (Raju) (214) 417-6717
    Sunny Kochuparambil (972) 365-9506

    Parish Council Secretary & Asst. Secretary:
    Mini Joseph Vilangolil (972) 896-2515
    Lissamma Xavier (Asst. Secretary) (817) 657-4427

    Liturgy Coordinator:
    Jose Paul (972) 589-0434

    Parish Vicar:
    Fr. James Nirappel (443) 414-2250

    Copyright © 2021 St. Thomas the Apostle Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church,
    4922 Rosehill Road, Garland, Texas 75043. All rights reserved.
    Unsubscribe from this email list.