About Infant Jesus [Syro-Malabar] · Sacramento, California
Infant Jesus Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic (Syro-Malabar) mission community serving the faithful Malayalam-speaking Catholics of the Sacramento region from a campus in the Fruitridge Manor / South Sacramento neighborhood. It belongs to the Syro-Malabar Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago (the canonical Syro-Malabar jurisdiction for the U.S.) and conducts its worship inside the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. The community celebrates the Holy Qurbana in the Syro-Malabar rite, with Holy Mass in Malayalam most days and an English-language Qurbana once a month on the second Sunday. It is led by a vicar appointed by the Chicago-based Syro-Malabar eparchy and runs the typical full life of a Syro-Malabar mission: catechism (CCD), youth ministry, a Ladies' Forum (Women's Forum), the SMCC (Syro-Malabar Catholic Congress), the BCC prayer group, the Lay Faithful Movement League (LFML), and seasonal novenas and feasts such as the Dukrana (St. Thomas Day).
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- Infant Jesus
- Diocese
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago (located geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento)
Why belong here
Infant Jesus offers Sacramento's Syro-Malabar Catholic families a complete spiritual home in their own liturgical tradition — the Syro-Malabar rite celebrated in Malayalam, with an English Qurbana once a month for the younger generation. Beyond the sacraments, the parish runs an active CCD/catechism program with annual graduations, a Youth Group, a Lay Faithful Movement League (LFML), a Syro-Malabar Catholic Congress (SMCC) chapter, a BCC prayer group, and a thriving Ladies' Forum with named ward representatives. It also gathers the community for seasonal novenas (St. Joseph, Infant Jesus, Our Lady of Perpetual Help), the Dukrana feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, an annual picnic, VBS, and the popular 'Agape' community meal — all reasons a Keralite Catholic family moving to the Sacramento area might quickly feel at home here.
Mass times at Infant Jesus [Syro-Malabar]
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity & Background
Infant Jesus Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the Sacramento-area worship community of the Syro-Malabar rite, one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome that traces its origins to St. Thomas the Apostle in Kerala, India. Although it sits geographically within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, the parish is canonically a mission of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago, the eastern Catholic eparchy established by St. John Paul II in 2001 to shepherd Syro-Malabar faithful across the United States.
- Jurisdiction: Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago
- Geographic location: territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento
- Patron: Infant Jesus
- Languages of liturgy: Malayalam and English
History
The building the parish calls home has its own long story. It was originally the church of All Hallows Parish of the Roman (Latin) Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, located at 14th Avenue and 55th Street. When All Hallows built a new church in 1960, the old church and its auditorium were physically moved to the McMahon Drive site and re-established as St. Peter's Parish, complete with an elementary school staffed by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (who departed in 1970, after which the school eventually closed).
- 1960 — old All Hallows church moved to McMahon Drive and re-dedicated as St. Peter's Parish
- Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary staffed the parish school until 1970
- 2009 — Infant Jesus Mission established by Rev. Fr. Kurian Naduvelichalungal and lay leaders, with the support of the Bishops of Sacramento and the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago
- June 2017 — community purchased St. Peter's Church, all outbuildings, and 5.1 acres from the Roman Diocese of Sacramento
- December 2, 2017 — building officially rededicated as Infant Jesus Church
The Church Building & Devotional Space
The Infant Jesus worship space is the relocated mid-century Roman Catholic church described above, simple on the outside but rich with sacred imagery inside. The sanctuary on the south end of the building is filled with images and statues drawn from both the Syro-Malabar and Roman Catholic traditions, reflecting the building's original Latin-rite identity and its current Syro-Malabar mission. The red chancel veil is opened for major celebrations.
- Infant Jesus Shrine — devotional centerpiece of the parish
- Image of St. Thomas 'the Apostle of India'
- Statue of St. Alphonsa (among the first saints of the Syro-Malabar Church)
- Statue of St. Sebastian (widely venerated in India)
- Combined Syro-Malabar and Roman Catholic devotional imagery — symbol of full communion between the two rites
Holy Qurbana (Mass) Schedule
The parish celebrates the Syro-Malabar-rite Holy Qurbana six days a week, plus Sunday Masses. Most liturgies are in Malayalam; the second-Sunday-of-the-month Mass is celebrated in English to welcome younger and English-speaking members of the community. Mass is also livestreamed through the parish's online presence.
- Monday – Friday: 6:30 PM (Malayalam)
- Saturday: 8:30 AM (Malayalam), followed by the Novena to Mother of Perpetual Help
- Sunday: 9:30 AM — Malayalam on the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays; English on the 2nd Sunday
Novenas & Devotions
Three weekly novenas rotate through the week, each one celebrated immediately after that day's Holy Qurbana. The parish also celebrates the Dukrana (St. Thomas Day) feast of St. Thomas the Apostle.
- Wednesday evening — Novena to St. Joseph (after 6:30 PM Qurbana)
- Friday evening — Novena to Infant Jesus (after 6:30 PM Qurbana)
- Saturday morning — Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help (after 8:30 AM Qurbana)
- Annual St. Thomas Day / Dukrana celebration
Parish Ministries, Prayer Groups & Organizations
Infant Jesus maintains the full life typical of a Syro-Malabar mission its size: a Liturgy Committee that plans the sacraments and seasons; a Ladies' Forum (Women's Forum) with elected officers and ward-level representatives; the SMCC (Syro-Malabar Catholic Congress); the BCC prayer group; the Lay Faithful Movement League (LFML); a Youth Group; and a CCD / Catechesis program with an annual Catechism Day and graduation.
- BCC prayer group
- Lay Faithful Movement League (LFML) — with inauguration photos on the parish site
- Ladies' Forum / Women's Forum — President Jain Jose, VP Letty Thomas, Secretary Jiji Antony, Treasurer Mary Rose Simon
- SMCC (Syro-Malabar Catholic Congress)
- Youth Group
- CCD / Catechesis program
- Liturgy Committee
- Family Directory
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
The parish's CCD / Catechesis program teaches Syro-Malabar Catholic faith to the community's children, with annual milestones such as the Annual Catechism Day and a CCD Graduation celebrated each year (2023 cohort pictured on the parish site). The community also holds Vacation Bible School (VBS) for younger children.
- Annual Catechism Day
- Annual CCD Graduation
- Vacation Bible School (VBS)
Liturgy Committee
A dedicated team of lay faithful plans and prepares every celebration of the Holy Qurbana and other sacramental rites at Infant Jesus, working with musicians and artists to provide a prayerful, reverent atmosphere that follows the liturgical norms of the Syro-Malabar Church. The committee coordinates the major seasons of the Syro-Malabar calendar (Advent, Lent, and principal feasts).
- Coordinates music, art and liturgical environment for every Holy Qurbana
- Plans and enhances celebrations for Advent, Lent, and Syro-Malabar feasts
- Educates the faithful on liturgical symbols, gestures and prayers
- Ensures accessibility and full, active participation by the whole community
Sacraments & Sacramental Life
As an Eastern Catholic mission, Infant Jesus celebrates the full range of Syro-Malabar-rite sacraments through its vicar and the wider Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago. Visible on the parish website is the celebration of First Holy Communion (with a 2022 photo gallery), confirmation and marriage preparation through the parish, and CCD as the normal path to sacramental initiation for children.
- Holy Qurbana (Syro-Malabar-rite Mass) — weekly
- First Holy Communion — celebrated annually in the parish
- Catechesis (CCD) — pathway to First Communion and Confirmation for children
Community Life & Annual Events
Beyond the sacraments, the parish cultivates a strong social fabric with events that bring the extended Sacramento Syro-Malabar community together each year.
- Dukrana / St. Thomas Day celebration
- Annual Catechism Day
- Agape community meal
- Annual parish picnic
- Mothers' Day celebration (organized by Ladies' Forum)
- CCD Graduation
Visit & Contact
The parish is located at 6210 McMahon Drive (some directories list 6200 McMahon Drive), Sacramento, CA 95824, on a 5.1-acre campus in the Fruitridge Manor / South Sacramento area that was purchased from the Diocese of Sacramento in 2017. The phone line and the parish's Facebook and YouTube channels are the main avenues for ongoing contact, with Mass livestreamed online.
- Address: 6210 McMahon Drive, Sacramento, CA 95824
- Phone: (916) 844-5483
- Website: https://infantjesussacramento.org/
- Facebook: Infant Jesus Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Sacramento
- YouTube channel linked from parish website
- Holy Mass livestream via parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Kurian Naduvelichalungal2009 – (founding period)
Pioneering priest from St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Parish in Milpitas who led the effort to establish Infant Jesus Mission in 2009.