The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is the newest flock to occupy the pews of the storied Norval Presbyterian Church.
In a ceremony on Friday evening (Nov. 22), the new occupants rechristened the church as the St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church. Hundreds attended the service, taking in the pomp and pageantry unique to Eastern traditions of Christianity.
Several priests from the denomination, and some from outside it, attended. With them was Father Blessen Varughese, the vicar of the new church. Choirs sang, incense was burned and gifts were given to dignitaries who attended.
The clerical dignitaries were accompanied by local elected officials like Mayor Ann Lawlor, Councillors Joseph Racinsky and D’Arcy Keene. But peppered within the congregation were also members of Norval Presbyterian, which had its last service at the church earlier this year.
In a touching welcome, former Norval Presbyterian board member Robert McClure told his new neighbours that he's “certainly impressed as I am sure others will be at the work you have done throughout the church to suit your needs as a parish.”
He offered a prayer thanking the “Heavenly Father” for bringing the St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church into Norval.
“May your presence be felt every time someone enters this sanctuary,” McClure prayed, at times getting emotional.
Members of the new congregation expressed joy at their new house of worship. Aju Verghese, a real estate agent who played a role in acquiring the building, expressed much happiness seeing it all come together.
“We are excited,” he told HaltonHillsToday. “We are excited that we will be able to accommodate a number of people, [and have] a new place, a new address.”
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, denomination traces its traditions to St. Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. Adherents of the group largely hail from Kerala in Eastern India. The walls of the former Norval Presbyterian Church echoed with the Malayalam and Syriac languages - certain parts of services are recited in those tongues.
There are roughly 2.5 million worshippers worldwide.
While there's still work to be done, the interior of the church has been renovated to create a protected area for the Tabernacle. Several images of apostles dotted the walls of the church, reminding the worshippers of the example some of Jesus’ followers provided.
Mayor Ann Lawlor recited a letter the congregation sent her to declare their interest in the church.
“You recognized the history of this place and this area. You had expressed a desire to honour and preserve it. That’s very important to us,” Lawlor said.
She added that the ceremonial occasion also represents "the unity and diversity that we cherish in Halton Hills.”
For more information on the church, visit stgoc.org.
