HISTORY OF HOLY FAMILY SYRO MALABAR CHURCH IN ROCKLAND 

The Beginning at Rockland
Fr. George Kalapura CMI, a Syro-Malabar Catholic priest from Kerala was working in Rockland for the Archdiocese of New York in the early 1990’s. He organized prayer meetings in the homes of Syro Malabar and Syro Malankara Catholics and eventually started the Syro Malabar Rite Masses at RPC. Chaplain Rev. Mgr. Cox, followed by Rev. Fr. Driscoll granted permission to Fr. George Kalapura CMI to celebrate Malayalam Masses at OLQP Chapel, on the second Sunday of the month and later every Sunday. This was the beginning of the Syro Malabar Liturgy in Rockland under Syro Malabar Church.

Rockland Syro Malabar Catholics under India Catholic Association
There was no appointed clergy representing the Syro Malabar or Malankara and Latin Church from Kerala. So, the laymen organized themselves and formed the’ India Catholic Association of New York’ comprising of all three catholic denominations. The ICA took the leadership for the spiritual and social needs of their members for a quarter century inviting religious and diocesan priests from Kerala and working in the tri-state area.
When Fr. George Kalapura moved to Houston Texas, The India Catholic Association took over the responsibility of the Malayalam Liturgy at OLQP chapel at RPC. There were no priests appointed to serve the spiritual needs of the people.  Priests from Westchester, Bronx, New Jersey and Connecticut were brought in to celebrate Malayalam Mass at the RPC chapel every second Sunday of the month.  Fr. George Vadakel, Fr. Abraham Orapankal, Fr Abraham Vallayil were some of the early visiting priests.

Fr. Jos Kandathikudy was delegated to Rockland on October 1 ^st, 1999 to look in to the possibilities of organizing a Syro Malabar Community/Mission by the Apostolic Visitator. He was given residence at St. Anthony’s church, Nanuet by the New York Archdiocese.  He registered Syro Malabar Catholic Mission in Rockland grouping together a few people and took over the Malayalam Liturgy services first at St. Joseph’s Chapel in Spring Valley New York and later from the India Catholic Association at Rockland Psychiatric center chapel in Orangeburg, New York.
 
St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago.
On March 13, 2001 His Holiness Pope John Paul II established St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago in USA. Mar Jacob Angadiath was appointed the first bishop and his episcopal ordination was on July 1, 2002, with the inauguration of the new diocese. His Eminence Cardinal Eagan allotted St. Valentine’s Church of the Archdiocese of New York in the Bronx to the Syro Malabar Community in March 2002. The Church was renamed St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church and declared a parish. Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiathu appointed Rev. Fr. Jose Kandthikudy as its first vicar on March 24, 2002.
Rockland Mission was left with no priest after Fr. Jos Kandathikudy left as vicar of the Bronx church. Months later Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath appointed Fr. Abraham Vallayil CMI who was serving as an associated pastor at St. Catherine’s church Blauvelt, as Rockland Mission director.  Fr. Abraham Vallayil started Holy Masses to every Saturday and Sunday of the month at Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel.
Negotiating the purchase of OQPC at the Psychiatric Centre 2002

 In October 2002 the parish committee with the mission director started negotiating with the Archdiocese of New York to buy the Our Lady Queen of Peace chapel. At a crucial meeting held on the 18 ^th of February 2005 at the Archdiocese Headquarters with Chancellor Msgr. Thomas Gilleece and attorney Mr. David Brown, affirmed the commitment of the Arch diocese to transfer the chapel to the Syro Malabar Community, pending transfer of the land by the New York State on which the chapel is built. Immediately the Mission director and the committee began to raise funds to purchase the chapel. Due to several unresolved issues the deal did not go through. Mgr. Emmet Nevin the administrator of OLQP Chapel finally shut down the chapel permanently on July of 2013.
First Syro Malabar Mission Director 2005.

Fr. Antony Kudukkamthadthil MST was appointed the Mission director in July 2005 after       Fr. Abraham Vallayil left for India. He served as the associate pastor at St. Catherine’s church. Fr. Anto made good progress in attracting more families to the Mission. He started CCD classes from grade 1-8. He organized retreats for the spiritual wellbeing of the community. On the 15 ^th of august 2010 after five years of dedicated service, he went back to India to continue his mission work in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Fr. Thadeus Aravindathu from the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, was appointed the Director of Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Rockland on August 15, 2010. He was the first full time mission director of the Syro Malabar Catholic Mission. Fr. Thadeus was given a place to stay at St. Francis Assisi Church in West Nyack due to the generosity of Msgr. Edward Weber. Fr. Thadeus has been instrumental in negotiating with Cardinal Dolan to fulfill the dream of our own church for the Syro Malabar community in Rockland.  In 2012 Cardinal Dolan with a public proclamation gave Rockland Syro Malabar Catholics a permanent home at St Boniface church in Wesley Hills, which they had been seeking for over 15 years
 
St. Boniface Church Wesley Hills NY - July 2012
 More than 500 people filled St. Boniface Church in Wesley Hills on August1st, 2012 to celebrate the inauguration of the St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Catholic mission. Cardinal George Alencherry of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the Major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was the main celebrant. The liturgy marked the move of the Rockland community Syro-Malabar Catholic mission to St. Boniface parish. Until July 1, 2012, the group had worshiped at Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel at Rockland Psychiatric Center, Orangeburg.

Cardinal George Alencherry was joined at the altar by more than 20 priests and bishops, including Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Walsh, vicar for clergy for the NY Archdiocese and Bishop Jacob Angadiath of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic diocese of Chicago and Bishop Joseph Kunnath of Adilibad, India together with Fr. Hugh Grace, who had retired as pastor of St. Boniface parish, and Msgr. Edward Weber.

Fr. Thadeus Aravindath was appointed as the administrator of St. Boniface church by Cardinal Timothy Dolan for the Latin rite community. He served both communities until June 30, 2019. After serving the Syro Malabar community and Latin community for 9 years, he was incardinated into the New York Archdiocese and appointed Pastor of St. Patrick Church in Armonk New York. Fr. Thadeus was instrumental in negotiating the purchase of St. Boniface church with the New York Archdiocese, which resulted in the signing of the memorandum of understanding on December 14, 2018. We were offered to purchase St. Boniface church and the 17.5 acres of land for $3 million. St. Boniface Latin community was to be merged with St Joseph’s Church in Spring Valley.

Fr. Raphael Ambadan was appointed as Mission director starting July 1^st 2019. He was transferred from St. Joseph’s Syro Malabar church in Tampa, Florida. The process of the purchase of the church continued to move forward under the leadership of Fr Raphael. Additional funds were raised and on January 18, 2020 on the feast of St. Sebastian, the contract was signed in the presence of all the past and present trustees, building committee, parish financial committee and the parishioners.
Name change to Holy Family Syro Malabar Catholic Church.

Syro-Malabar Catholic mission Rockland became St. Mary’s Syro Malabar mission in 2010.
And a change to Holy Family Syro Malabar Catholic Church was proposed by Fr. Thadeus.
With approval of the Parish Council, Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath made the name Holy Family SM Catholic Church the official name of this parish, on Mother’s Day May 13, 2019.

On September 8, 2020, Bishop Jacob Angadiath erected the St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Rockland, NY to a full-fledged parish of the St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago, with the name Holy Family Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Rockland, NY

By Gpadavan