Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Southwest America

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}

{{primary sources|date=April 2020}}

{{Infobox diocese

|jurisdiction =

|name = Diocese of Southwest America

|image = Malankara Emblem.png

|imagewidth =

|alt =

|caption = Catholicate Emblem

|country = United States

|headquarters = 3101 Hopkins Rd Beasley, TX 77417, USA

|coordinates =

|denomination =

|border = Orthodox

|territory = America

|metropolitan = H. G. Thomas Mar Ivanios{{Cite web|url=https://ds-wa.org/202210182047/his-grace-thomas-mar-ivanios-metropolitan.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028002348/https://ds-wa.org/202210182047/his-grace-thomas-mar-ivanios-metropolitan.html|archivedate=28 Oct 2022|title= His Grace Thomas Mar Ivanios Metropolitan}}

|established = 1 April 2009{{Cite web|url=http://www.ds-wa.org/diocesan-admin/|title=Diocesan Admin|website=www.ds-wa.org}}

|website = [http://www.ds-wa.org/ South West America Diocese]

|first_incumbent = Alexios Mar Eusebios

|diocese = South West America Diocese

|rite = Malankara Rite

|bishop =

|parent_church = Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

}}

File:BeasleyTXMap.png

The Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Southwest America, sometimes referred to as the Southwest Diocese or DS-WA is a diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The diocesan headquarters are located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, with a postal address of Beasley,{{cite web|url=http://www.ds-wa.org/|

title=Home|publisher=Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Southwest America|accessdate=2022-02-01|quote=Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church,Diocese of South-West America, 3101 Hopkins Rd Beasley, TX 77417}} - [https://www.cityofbeasley.com/upload/page/0036/CIty%20limit%20map%20and%20ETJ.pdf Compare to the Beasley city limits] (rotate the map until it points north, and compare with the location of the headquarters) - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st48_tx/place/p4806272_beasley/DC20BLK_P4806272.pdf Also see map from the] U.S. Census Bureau. [https://web.archive.org/web/19961031170034/http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/annexation/annexation_FAQ.html Note that the city of Houston stated in 1996 that]: "The U.S. Postal Service establishes ZIP codes and mailing addresses in order to maximize the efficiency of their system, not to recognize jurisdictional boundaries." a suburban city in Texas 40 miles from downtown Houston. The southwest diocese covers several churches in the U.S. states, and Canada."[http://www.ds-wa.org/parishes.html Parishes]." Diocese of South-West America. Retrieved on 27 October 2011.

History

= American diocese =

The American diocese was established in 1979 by Thomas Makarios. In 1991, after the death of Makarios, Mathews Barnabas was enthroned as metropolitan in 1993. In 2002, Zachariah Nicholovos was appointed as the assistant metropolitan.

= Formation of the Southwest Diocese =

The Diocese was formed by order number 145/2009 signed by the Catholicos of the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas and Malankara Metropolitan, Didymus I on 1 April 2009.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ds-wa.org/aboutus/|title=AboutUS|website=ds-wa.org|access-date=26 April 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Diocese of South West America {{!}}|url=https://mosc.in/dioceses/diocese-of-south-west-america|access-date=2020-09-06|website=mosc.in}} Barnabas and Nicholovos were appointed to the Northeast American Diocese and Alexios Eusebius was appointed the Southwest Diocese.

According to order number 01/2017,{{Cite web|url=http://www.ds-wa.org/images/stories/kalpana/diocese/2017/Kalpana%20No.01.2017.pdf|title=Kalpana No.01/2017|last=Mar Aprem|first=Zacharias|date=28 September 2017|website=DS-WA.org|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=26 April 2020}} Eusebius was transferred to the Diocese of Mavelikkara. Subsequently the Malankara Metropolitan assumed control over the diocese and Zacharias Aprem was appointed as the assistant metropolitan to the diocese. In October 2022, Thomas Ivanios was appointed as the permanent Diocesan Metropolitan bringing an end to the temporary administrative set up that lasted for over five years.

= Today =

As of April 2020, there are 63 churches in the southwest diocese.{{Cite web|url=http://directory.mosc.in/parishes/?diocese=1272|title = Parishes : Malankara Orthodox Directory}}

Diocesan metropolitan

Assistant metropolitan

class="wikitable" style="width: 69%;"

|+

colspan="4" style="background-color: #7F1635; color: white;" |List of Diocesan Metropolitan
style="background-color: #D4B1BB; width: 10%;" | Name

! style="background-color: #D4B1BB; width: 10%;" | Start

! style="background-color: #D4B1BB; width: 10%;" | End

! style="background-color: #D4B1BB; width: 39%;" | Notes

colspan="4" |American Diocese Formed
style="background-color: white;" valign="top"

|Thomas Makarios

|1979

|1991

| Founder and first Metropolitan of American Diocese

style="background-color: white;" valign="top"

|Mathews Barnabas

|1993

|2011

| Enthroned as the Second metropolitan of the American Diocese. The American Diocese split into the Northeast American Diocese and Southwest American Diocese in 2009

colspan="4" |Southwest Diocese Formed
style="background-color: white;" valign="top"

|Alexios Eusebius

|2009

|2017

|First Metropolitan of the current Southwest American Diocese. Relinquished duties in 2017.

style="background-color: white;" valign="top"

|Zacharias Aprem

|2017

|2022

|Assistant Metropolitan from 20 September 2017 - October 31, 2022{{Cite web|url=http://www.ds-wa.org/metropolitan/|title = Metropolitan}}

Thomas Ivanios

|2022

|Present

|

Parishes

1 St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Phoenix AZ

2 St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, San Francisco CA

3 St Mary’s Orthodox Church, Los Angeles CA

4 St. George Orthodox Church, Sacramento CA

5 St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Valiyapally, Los Angeles CA

6 St Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church, Denver CO

7 St. Gregorios Orthodox Church of India, South Florida FL

8 St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Orlando FL

9 St. Paul's Orthodox Church, Orlando FL

10 St Gregorios Orthodox Church, Jacksonville FL

11 St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Church, Tampa FL

12 St. Thomas Indian Orthodox, Hollywood, Florida FL

13 St. Mary’s Indian Orthodox Congregation, South West Florida FL

14 St. Mary's Malankara Orthodox Church, Tampa, Florida FL

15 St Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church, Pompano Beach, FL

16 St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Atlanta GA

17 St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Atlanta GA

18 St Gregorios Orthodox Congregation, Augusta GA

19 St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Elmhurst IL

20 St Gregorios Cathedral, Bellwood IL

21 St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Chicago IL

22 St Mary’s Orthodox Church Oak Lawn. IL

23 St Gregorios Orthodox Church, Kansas City, Missouri KS

24 St. George Orthodox Congregation, Louville, KY

25 St Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church Charlotte MD

26 St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Detroit MI

27 St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Detroit MI

28 St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Detroit MI

29 St Gregorios Orthodox Congregation, Minnesota MN

30 St Mary’s Orthodox Church, St.Louis MO

31 St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Cleveland OH

32 St Ephrem Orthodox Congregation, Columbus OH

33 St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Oklahoma OK

34 St. Anthony’s Congregation -Pittsburg PA

35 St Paul’s Orthodox Congregation, Chattanooga TN

36 St. Barnabas Indian Orthodox Congregation, Nashville TN

37 St. Mary's Orthodox Congregation, Memphis TN

38 St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, Houston TX

39 St Paul’s Orthodox Church, Dallas TX

40 St. George Orthodox Church, Dallas TX

41 St Gregorios Orthodox Congregation McAllen, TX

42 A&M College Station Orthodox Congregation, TX

43 St. Thomas Orthodox Church Lufkin TX

44 St Mary’s Malankara Orthodox Church, Carrollton, Dallas TX

45 St. Stephen's Orthodox Church, Houston TX

46 St Gregorios Orthodox Church, Dallas TX

47 St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Austin TX

48 St James Orthodox Church, Dallas TX

49 St. George Orthodox Church, San Antonio TX

50 St. Peter's & St. Paul's Orthodox Church, Houston TX

51 St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Houston TX

52 St Mary’s, Valiyapally Orthodox Church, Dallas TX

53 St Gregorios Orthodox Church, Houston TX

54 St Thomas Orthodox Church, Dallas TX

55 St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church, San Antonio, TX

56 St Gregorios Orthodox Congregation, New Orleans TX

57 St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Atlanta TX

58 St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Church, Spokane, WA

59 St Thomas Orthodox Church, Seattle, WA

60 St Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Congregation Chapel San Diego

61 St Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Church Atlanta

62 St Mary Malankara Orthodox Congregation Las Vegas

63 St Joseph The Just Malankara Orthodox Congregation Dayton-Cincinnati

64 St Ephrem Malankara Orthodox Congregation North Dallas

65 St John The Baptist Malankara Orthodox Congregation Houston

66 St George Malankara Orthodox Church San Antonio

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

Shehimo: Book of Common Prayer. (n.d.). (n.p.): Liturgical Resource Development.

Konat, J. A. (n.d.). Service Book of the Holy Qurbono: English with Commentary & Malayalam with Transliteration. (n.p.): Malankara Orthodox Church Publications.

Y. M. A., Irenaios, Y. M. (2017). A Study of the Experience of the Unspeakable and Its Manifestations in Selected Mystic Saints and Holy Persons in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. India: SFS Publications.

The Book of Common Prayer of the Syrian Church. (2005). United States: Gorgias Press.

Krikorian, M. K. (2010). Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches: Christology in the Tradition of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Austria: Peter Lang.