Weekly Newsletter-November 10, 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,
November 10, 2025

Dear Parishioners,


1. Holy Qurbana Schedule

        • Monday, November 10, 2025 – Wednesday, November 12, 2025 
          • 8:30 am: Holy Qurbana
        • Thursday, November 13, 2025
          • Please note: There will be no Holy Qurbana on Thursdays, as our Vicar, Rev. Fr. Siby Sebastian, observes his weekly day off.
        • Friday, November 14, 2025
          • 6:00 pm - 6:40 pm: Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)
          • 6:00 pm - 6:50 pm: Eucharistic Adoration, followed by St. Jude's Novena, and Holy Qurbana
            • Saturday, November 15, 2025
              • 8:30 am: Holy Qurbana, followed by the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
            • Sunday, November 16, 2025
              • 8:30 am: CCD
                • 8:30 am: Holy Qurbana in Malayalam
                • 10:30 am: Holy Qurbana in English


                2. November 2025 Updates

                                      • Young Adult Gathering: We had a wonderful Young Adult gathering on Saturday, November 8, 2025. A total of 90 people registered, and 75 attended. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make it a success! Special thanks to Jeevan James and Cheryl Thomas for leading these efforts.
                                        • For all primarily English-speaking young adults and adults aged 35 or older, a new St. Thomas Garland WhatsApp Community has been created for communication regarding social, service, and prayer activities and opportunities. If you are interested, please join using the link below:

                                      https://chat.whatsapp.com/CA1GryUMKmj8KeQLdXbbXP?mode=wwt

                                      • National Vocation Awareness Month: November is National Vocation Awareness Month, a time to reflect on how God calls each of us to live a life of love and service. Let us also pray that each of us responds to God's call with faith and joy.
                                      • Month to Remember the Departed Souls: November is also a special month to remember and pray for the souls of our departed family members. Let us offer Holy Qurbana and pray for the redemption of souls in purgatory.
                                      • New Parking Lot Work in Progress: Work on the new church parking lot is in progress, and all families are requested to contribute towards this project. Those who can sponsor more are greatly appreciated.

                                        • Since the parking lot work is ongoing, there may be some parking difficulties. We kindly ask everyone to cooperate and follow the directions provided by the volunteers.
                                      • Choir Meeting: There will be a general meeting for all choir members next Sunday, November 16, 2025, after the 10:30 am Holy Qurbana in the Jubilee Hall.
                                      • Perunnal Presudenthis' Meeting: The next Perunnal Presudenthis’ meeting will be held on Sunday, November 16, 2025, immediately after the 8:30 am Holy Qurbana.
                                      • Christmas Carol Preparation: It’s time to begin preparations for the Christmas Carol! Carol visits will start on December 13, 2025, and continue December 14, 20, and 21.
                                      • Sunnyvale Ward Division Completed: The Sunnyvale Ward division has been completed.
                                        • Sunnyvale East: St. Mariam Thresia Ward
                                        • Sunnyvale West: St. Little Flower Ward
                                      • Circular from the Major Archbishop: We have received a circular from Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil regarding guidelines for Marian Devotion.

                                      • IPSF 2026 Announcement: The Inter Parish Sports Festival (IPSF) will be held in McAllen, TX, from August 6-9, 2026. Our parish-level competitions will take place in January and February 2026.
                                        • The IPSF Cricket Tournament will be held in March 2026. Those who wish to participate, please contact Gladwin Jacob, at (214) 404-4301.
                                      • New Parish Council Member Selection (2026-2027)
                                            • The selection of new parish council members will be completed by the end of November 2025. 
                                            • Our Vicar, Rev. Fr. Siby Sebastian, will be present at each ward meeting during this selection process. Each ward will select one ward representative and one ministry coordinator. 

                                          Ward Meeting Dates:

                                            • November 8, 2025: St. Little Flower Ward (Sunnyvale)
                                            • November 9, 2025: St. Mother Teresa Ward (Rowlett)
                                            • November 15, 2025: St. Alphonsa Ward (Allen/Plano)
                                            • November 16, 2025: St. Sebastian Ward (Murphy)
                                            • November 22, 2025: St. George Ward (South Garland)
                                            • November 23, 2025: St. Jude Ward (North Garland)
                                            • November 29, 2025: St. Mary's Ward (Mesquite)
                                            • November 30, 2025: St. Antony Ward (Arlington)

                                          • Dei Verbum Bible Quiz: The preliminary Dei Verbum Bible Quiz will be held on November 22, 2025. Please see the details below.
                                            • As part of the upcoming Dei Verbum Bible Quiz, all CCD students (Grade 4 and above), as well as adult and senior citizen participants, are required to have an active SpeedExam account to participate in this year’s quiz.
                                            • Please review the detailed instructions provided in the “2025–2026 Dei Verbum Instructions” document available from the parish. To view the document, click the link: 2025-2026 Dei Verbum Instructions.pdf 
                                            • To ensure a smooth registration process, all accounts must be set up and verified by Saturday, November 15, 2025. This will allow time to troubleshoot and resolve any technical or login issues before the preliminary quiz.

                                          Registration Links:

                                          When updating your profile, please confirm the following parish details:
                                          Parish ID: TX11
                                          Parish Name: St. Thomas the Apostle Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church
                                          Parish City: Dallas
                                          Parish State: Texas

                                          For questions or assistance, please contact:

                                          Shijo Joseph – (267) 984-7394
                                          Bertie Dsouza – (469) 569-4834
                                           

                                          • Church Pledge Statement Distribution: We kindly request all parishioners with pending pledges to make their payments as soon as possible. The suggested amount is $1,200 per family. Statements are ready and can be collected from your Parish Council members or the Trustees. 


                                          3. Upcoming Events

                                            • FLAME 2026: FLAME 2026 is a regional conference hosted by DYA South for college/post-graduate age students. It will be held January 2-5, 2026, at Trinity Pines Conference Center in Trinity, Texas (near Houston). Regular registration ends on October 5, 2025, and late registration ends on October 31, 2025. For more information, please contact Don Joseph at 469-845-5701 or Kevin Thomas at 214-603-1330.
                                            • Jubilee Convention 2026: Our diocese is preparing for the Syro-Malabar Convention 2026, which will be held at McCormick Place, Chicago, July 9-12, 2026. We encourage everyone to participate in this special Jubilee Convention. Please register as soon as possible. A committee is available to assist you - please contact them if you need any help.
                                              • Kuriachen Mannanal - 972-741-0103
                                              • Annie Nellikunnel - 732-618-2122
                                              • Elsy Philip - 214-418-3431
                                              • Jeeva Raju - 469-734-6481

                                            For more details, visit www.SyroConvention.org

                                            To register, visit https://register.syroconvention.org/syro-convention-2026


                                            4. Safe Environment Updates


                                            5. Additional Church Related Information

                                            • ParishOnNet Access: According to diocesan guidelines, we have provided ParishOnNet access to all parishioners. To access ParishOnNet for our church, please click on the ParishOnNet link. You can view your family details, church contributions, tax statements, CCD registration, and more. If you are unable to access ParishOnNet, please contact the Trustees.
                                            • 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.
                                            • Offertory Collection: When placing your offertory collection in the envelope, please ensure that you write your 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 any purpose, individuals must complete the required form available at the Parish Trustees' Office.


                                            God Bless You
                                            Rev. Fr. Siby Sebastian MST


                                            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:
                                            Rev. Fr. Siby Sebastian MST (346) 270-0262

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