A brief history of St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Cathedral, Bellwood
St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Cathedral, Bellwood, Illinois, U.S.A., is a parish in the diocese of Southwest America of the Malankara Orthodox Church of India. The Patron Saint of this Church is St. Gregorios of Parumala, the first Canonized Saint of the Malankara Orthodox Church from Kerala, India.
St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Cathedral
The St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Church was organized with the leadership of Rev. Fr. Daniel George in 1994. With the great mercy from the Almighty, His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios, Senior Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Church in America, celebrated the first Holy Divine Liturgy on May 22, 1994. Since then regular worship was being conducted at St. Cyprians Episcopal Church in Chicago.The parish started to grow and doubled the number of families: from twenty to over seventy two families. Through the efforts of Rev. Fr. Daniel George and the wonderful cooperation of the enthusiastic members of this congregation we purchased the present beautiful church building in Bellwood, Illinois, in 2000. This Church is located 14 miles west of the center of the great city of Chicago.It was a day of great rejoicing when the New Church Building was consecrated and dedicated to continue the mission of Jesus Christ by His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios with the assistance of Cor-Episcopos and Priests on the Memorial Day of St. Gregorios of Parumala in October, 2000. In 2003 His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios elevated the church to a cathedral, making it the 2nd Cathedral in the United States, underneath the Malankara Orthodox Church.
“You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”