"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12:27

 

The Holy Church (in Greek 'kyriakon') is the sanctuary where the Lord dwells. It is the one place we can turn to when we are faced with tribulations; the one place we can seek refuge. The Orthodox faith is the 'One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic' faith. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, was founded by St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, in the first century (A.D. 52). The Church has today grown to over 3.5 million faithful.

 

Beginning in the early 1970s, several Keralites migrated to Australia in search of better lives for themselves and their families. With the growing number of Orthodox families, the need was felt to establish a Church following Indian Orthodox tradition. The St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church (SMIOC) was established on 30th August 1980 at East Coburg, Victoria. 

 

The Church has grown immensely over the years. Starting with five families, it has today grown to over 200 families. As part of the Church's efforts to cater to its members living in far-flung areas, St. Gregorios Chapel was started in South-East Melbourne on 3rd January 2010. 

 

Rev. Fr. Pradeep Ponnachan is the current Vicar and Rev. Fr. Saju Unnoonni is the Asst. Vicar.

  

The SMIOC strives to maintain the faith amongst the Indian Orthodox faithful in the Victorian community. The Vicar is instrumental in providing spiritual food to the flock. The managing committee, led by the Vicar, overlooks the day to day activities of the parish. The Sunday School plays an important role in the spiritual upbringing of children. The Church has a charity wing that provides help to local charities and to the needy of the Malankara church. The Youth Movement and Marthamariam Samajam provide apt avenues for the spiritual activities of the youth and women respectively.