Weekly Newsletter-April 8, 2025

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,
April 8, 2025

Dear Parishioners,


1. Holy Qurbana, Adoration, and Lenten Retreat Schedule

      • Monday through Thursday: Holy Qurbana at 8:30 am.
      • There will be 40 hours of adoration starting from Thursday, April 10, at 2:00 am, and continued until Friday, April 11, at 6:00 pm followed by the retreat. 
      • Annual Parish Lenten Retreat: The retreat will be led by Rev. Dr. Thomas Karimundackal, S.J., a Bible professor from Pune Papal Seminary. We invite you to join us for this time of prayer, reflection, and spiritual renewal. Please bring your Bible, as the retreat will be based on the Gospel of St. Luke. If you would like to sponsor food for the retreat, please contact our trustees. There will be special offertory collections on the retreat days.
        • Detailed Retreat schedule: 
          • Friday, April 11, 2025: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm (Retreat begins with Holy Qurbana at 6:00 pm)
          • Saturday, April 12, 2025: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm (Confession hours are from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm)
          • Sunday, April 13, 2025 (Palm Sunday): 8:30 am - 4:00 pm (Retreat begins with Holy Qurbana at 8:30 am). There will be only one Holy Qurbana on Palm Sunday. There will be no Holy Qurbana at 10:30 am.


      2. April 2025 Updates

      • Confession Schedule: Tuesday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 16, 2025: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. 

      Holy Week Schedule:

        • Pesaha Vyazham / Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025: Holy Qurbana will begin at 7:00 pm, followed by the washing of the feet and Appam Murikkal. Like in previous years, please bring appam and paal for Holy Thursday and take them to the parish hall. 
        • Good Friday, April 18, 2025: Adoration will begin at 9:00 am, followed by the Passion narratives at 10:00 am in the Church (Malayalam) and Parish Hall (English), and the Way of the Cross. 
        • Holy Saturday, April 19, 2025: Holy Qurbana will be held at 8:30 am, followed by the blessing of the new water and fire. Those who would like to have candles and water blessed are requested to bring them to the church.
        • Easter Vigil Service, Saturday, April 19, 2025: Holy Qurbana will be celebrated at 6:30 pm in the Church (Malayalam) and the Parish Hall (English). 
        • Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025: Holy Qurbana will be at 8:30 am
      • Easter Flower Sponsorship: If you would like to sponsor Easter flowers, please reach out to our Kaikkarans.
      • Honoring Our Founding Members in the Jubilee Year: The year 2025 marks the Jubilee Year of the Chicago Diocese. To honor our parish’s founding members, a special gathering will be held on Sunday, April 27, 2025, during the 8:30 am Holy Qurbana, celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Jacob Angadiath.

      We will honor those who took the lead and worked at the forefront to help establish our church during the 1984-1985 period. Our Kaikkarans have already invited these individuals. If anyone who should be invited has not received an invitation, please contact our Vicar Fr. James Nirappel.

      Please note: There will be only one Holy Qurbana on this day. There will be no 10:30 am Holy Qurbana.

      • Steubenville Retreat: The Steubenville retreat will be held from June 20 to June 22, 2025, in Irving, Texas. Please click the link Steubenville 2025.jpg for details.
      • Inter-Parish Talent Fest (IPTF) 2025: IPTF 2025 will be held from August 1-3, 2025, in Pearland, Houston. For any questions, please reach out to the event coordinators, Joshua George (469-570-3315) or Aparna Chukkiriyan (972-816-8281).  


        3. Upcoming Events

        • Pilgrimage to Rome: A Special Message from Bishop Joy Alappatt: Please click the link Jubilee in Rome to view Bishop Joy Alappatt's message regarding the Pilgrimage to Rome for the Great Jubilee Celebration. A significant highlight will be the celebration of the Divine Liturgy with the Chaldean Liturgical family, using the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, scheduled for 1:00 pm on May 13, 2025, at St. Peter's Basilica. On the same day, the schedule also includes a special audience with Pope Francis. We encourage you to consider making a pilgrimage to Rome to take part in these celebrations.
        • Diocesan Eucharistic Congress: The first ever Syro Malabar Diocesan Eucharistic Congress will take place during Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25, 2025, at St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church in Somerset, NJ. We encourage you to register for this event and join others in prayer, reflection, and worship as we celebrate our unity in Christ. Please click the link below for registration, the flyer with more details, and key contacts if you need further information.

        https://www.smeucharisticcongress.us

        • First Holy Communion: The Solemn First Holy Communion for the children will be on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 10:00 am.
        • Parish Picnic: Our Parish Picnic will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025.


            4. Eucharistic Revival Updates


            5. Safe Environment Updates


            6. Additional Church Related Information

            • 2024 Tax Statement: The 2024 tax statement can be printed from ParishOnNet. If you are unable to print your statement, please contact the Kaikkarans in the church office for assistance. 
            • Church Payments via Zelle: If you choose to make payments to the church via Zelle, please use payst.thomasgarland@gmail.com as the recipient email. Also, include the purpose of the payment and your parish Family ID number to help us accurately identify and process your payment.
            • ParishOnNet Access: According to diocesan guidelines, we have initiated access to ParishOnNet for all parishioners. To access ParishOnNet for our church, please click on the ParishOnNet link. You can review your family details and church contribution statements through ParishOnNet. 
            • Offertory Collection: When placing your offertory collection in the envelope, please ensure that you write your name, Family ID number, and clearly state the intended purpose of your donation.
            • 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.


            God Bless You
            Fr. James Nirappel


            Church Main Office (972) 240-1100

            Kaikkarans (Trustees):
            Antony Nelluvelil (Tomy) (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

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            4922 Rosehill Road, Garland, Texas 75043. All rights reserved.
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