St.Thomas Orthodox Cathedral

St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral Dubai(STOC) today has emerged as one of the most prominent parishes in the Malankara Orthodox Church. The parish with a strength of more than 3500, surges ahead day by day by the grace of the Almighty and the intercession of the patron saints, St. Mary, St. Thomas, St. Gregorios of Parumala and St. Dionysius.

St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral Dubai is affiliated to Delhi Diocese of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, with Diocesan Metropolitan H.G Dr. Yuhanon Mar Demetrios, Vicar Rev. Fr. Shaji Mathew & Asst. Vicar Rev. Fr. Lany Chacko.

The first Malankara Orthodox congregation in Dubai was officially inaugurated on 2nd December 1968, by the then Bahrain Vicar Rev. Fr. K.K. Punnoose (L.L H.G Stephanos Mar Thevodosios). Initially the congregation was named St. Thomas Orthodox Association, and weekly gatherings were conducted at the residences of its members. Later on, as the membership increased, the congregation began to gather at the Women’s Society Hall, situated in Deira, near Fish Round About.

The Emirate of Dubai, then under the British rule, was strategically located in the Middle East, and was famous for its historic trading traditions. The oil boom in the 1960s and 1970s enticed traders, visitors and job-seekers on a large scale, who began to settle in Dubai, the already established trading hub of the region. The steady influx of people from Kerala in the following years made the number of Malankara Orthodox Church members from Kerala, a large community in Dubai. As the membership of the congregation steadily increased, the need for a formal church building became inevitable, and representations were made to the authorities concerned in this regard.

The first Metropolitan to visit Dubai was H.G Thomas Mar Timothios (H.H Marthoma Didimos I) in 1969. Later on, H.G Mathews Mar Coorilos (L.L H.H Marthoma Mathews II) visited Dubai and requested Dubai Ruler H.H Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum for land to construct a Church. Following that, H.G Mathews Mar Athanasios (L.L H.H Marthoma Mathews 1) visited Dubai on 1972, and again requested Dubai Ruler for land to construct a Church.

St. Thomas Katedral Ortodoks Dubai (STOC) hari ini telah muncul sebagai salah satu daripada gereja yang paling menonjol dalam Gereja Ortodoks Malankara. Paroki dengan kekuatan lebih dari 3500, mendadak menjelang hari demi hari dengan rahmat Yang Maha Kuasa dan dengan perantaraan orang-orang kudus penaung, St. Mary, St. Thomas, St. Gregorios daripada Parumala dan St Dionysius.

St. Thomas Katedral Ortodoks Dubai bergabung dengan Delhi Diocese Malankara Gereja Ortodoks Syria, dengan Diocesan Metropolitan HG Dr. Yuhanon Mar Demetrios, paderi Rev. Fr. Shaji Mathew & Pen. Paderi Rev. Fr. Lany Chacko.

Yang pertama jemaah Malankara Ortodoks di Dubai secara rasmi dirasmikan pada 2 Disember 1968, oleh bekas Bahrain paderi Rev. Fr. K.K. Punnoose (L.L H.G Stephanos Mar Thevodosios). Pada mulanya jemaah itu dinamakan St. Thomas Persatuan Ortodoks, dan perhimpunan mingguan telah dijalankan di kediaman ahli-ahlinya. Selepas itu, keahlian meningkat, jemaah mula berkumpul di Dewan Persatuan Wanita, terletak di Deira, berhampiran Fish Round About.

Emiriyah Dubai, kemudian di bawah pemerintahan British, terletak di lokasi strategik di Timur Tengah, dan terkenal dengan tradisi perdagangan bersejarah. Ledakan minyak pada 1960-an dan 1970-an termakan peniaga, pelawat dan pencari kerja secara besar-besaran, yang mula menetap di Dubai, hab dagangan yang telah sedia ada di rantau ini. Kemasukan mantap orang dari Kerala pada tahun-tahun berikut yang bilangan ahli Gereja Ortodoks Malankara dari Kerala, komuniti yang besar di Dubai. Sebagai ahli jemaah semakin meningkat, keperluan untuk bangunan gereja rasmi menjadi tidak dapat dielakkan, dan perwakilan telah dibuat kepada pihak berkuasa berkenaan dalam hal ini.

The Metropolitan pertama untuk melawat Dubai adalah HG Thomas Mar Timothios (HH Marthoma Didimos I) pada tahun 1969. Selepas itu, HG Mathews Mar Coorilos (LL HH Marthoma Mathews II) melawat Dubai dan meminta Dubai Raja HH Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum bagi tanah kepada membina Gereja. Berikutan itu, HG Mathews Mar Athanasios (LL HH Marthoma Mathews 1) melawat Dubai pada tahun 1972, dan sekali lagi diminta Dubai Raja bagi tanah untuk membina Gereja.