About Saint Joseph [Syro-Malabar] · Missouri City, Texas
St. Joseph Syro Malabar Catholic Forane Church is an Eastern Catholic parish serving the Syro-Malabar faithful of the greater Houston area from its home at 211 Present Street in Missouri City, Texas. Founded in 2001 as a mission of the newly erected St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago (headed by Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath), it was consecrated on October 18, 2003 and has since grown into a Forane Parish — one of only nine in the eparchy — and the second-largest parish in the diocese as well as the largest in Texas. The parish worships in both Malayalam and English in the Syro-Malabar rite and now comprises more than 700 families supported by a Continuing Christian Education program, a Young Adult League, and a number of devotional and service organizations.
- Established
- 2001
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Johnykutty George Puleessery (Vicar)
- Diocese
- St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago (located within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston)
Why belong here
St. Joseph Forane offers a complete Syro-Malabar Catholic home for Houston-area faithful: three Sunday Malayalam Holy Qurbanas plus an English Qurbana, daily Malayalam and evening English Malayalam Qurbanas Monday through Friday, all-day Eucharistic Adoration on weekdays, weekly novenas to St. Anthony, St. Joseph and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and a monthly Night Vigil on the First Friday. A robust Continuing Christian Education program catechizes roughly 700 children, and organizations such as the St. Joseph Young Adult League (SJYAL), San Jose Ladies Forum, Cherupushpa Mission League, SMCC, Altar Servers and the Ave Maria Prayer Group give every age and vocation a place to belong.
Mass times at Saint Joseph [Syro-Malabar]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Weekdays: 9:30 AM
- Other times by appointment
Adoration times
- Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM
- Night Vigil: every First Friday
About St. Joseph Syro Malabar Forane Church
St. Joseph Syro Malabar Catholic Forane Church is an Eastern Catholic parish of the Syro-Malabar rite serving the Houston metropolitan area from Missouri City, Texas. It belongs to the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago (Bishop Mar Joy Alappat; Bishop Emeritus Mar Jacob Angadiath), even though it is geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Since its consecration in 2003 the parish has grown to more than 700 families and was elevated to Forane status in 2014.
- Denomination: Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
- Rite: Syro-Malabar (East Syriac / Chaldean tradition)
- Diocese: St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago
- Geographic territory: Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
- Address: 211 Present St, Missouri City, TX 77489
- Parish size: 700+ families
History of the Parish
Houston's Syro-Malabar Catholics first organized around 1999, when Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath identified a resident priest in Fr. Ligory Johnson Phillips Kattiakaran, who began celebrating Malayalam Qurbana in the evenings at St. Theresa Catholic Church. The St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago was officially erected on March 8, 2001 with Mar Jacob Angadiath as its first bishop, and Fr. Ligory was named Mission Director for Houston. MSMI Sisters arrived the same year and began CCE Sunday-school classes with about 120 students for the 2001–02 academic year. In 2003 the community purchased a church building at 211 Present Street. After major renovations it was consecrated by Bishop Angadiath on October 18, 2003, and Fr. Ligory was installed as the first Vicar. A 2011 expansion created a new mission for Pearland, Clear Lake and North Houston, and in April 2014 Bishop Angadiath elevated the parish to a Forane Church.
- 1999: Bishop Angadiath visits Houston and Fr. Ligory begins Malayalam Mass
- March 8, 2001: St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago erected
- 2001: MSMI Sisters arrive; CCE classes begin (~120 students)
- 2003: Church at 211 Present St purchased and renovated
- October 18, 2003: Church consecrated; Fr. Ligory installed as first Vicar
- 2009 (March): Fr. Jacob Christy Parambukattil becomes Vicar
- 2011: Mission established for Pearland, Clear Lake and North Houston
- April 2014: Elevated to Forane Church
- 2019: Hosted the Syro Malabar National Convention
Our Spiritual Leaders
The parish is shepherded by the Vicar and assisted by an Assistant Vicar, under the authority of the Bishop of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago. The parish also maintains a published list of previous vicars and assistant vicars on its website.
- Pope Francis — Supreme Pontiff
- Mar Raphael Thattil — Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (since January 11, 2024)
- Mar Jacob Angadiath — Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Chicago
- Mar Joy Alappat — Bishop, Diocese of Chicago
- Rev. Fr. Johnykutty George Puleessery — Vicar
- Fr. George Parayil — Assistant Vicar ([email protected])
Past Vicars of St. Joseph
The parish website lists its succession of vicars from its founding through 2021.
- Rev. Fr. Ligory Johnson Phillips Kattiakaran — Oct 2003 to Feb 2009 (first Vicar)
- Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy Parambukattil — March 2009 to Nov 2013
- Rev. Fr. Zacharias Thottuvelil — Dec 2013 to April 2015
- Rev. Fr. Kurian Neduvelichalumkal — May 2015 to May 2021
Past Assistant Vicars
Assistant vicars who have served the parish since 2015 are also listed on the parish website.
- Rev. Fr. Wilson Antony — January 2015 to January 2016
- Rev. Fr. Stephen Kanippillil — February 2016 to February 2017
- Rev. Fr. Siby Sebastian Kocheettathott, MST — March 2017 to June 2018
- Fr. Rajeev Valiyaveettil Philip — July 2018 to August 2020
- Fr. Kevin Mundackal — September 2020 to August 2022
- Fr. Melvin Paul — September 2022 to August 2023
Parish Organizations & Ministries
More than 700 families worship at St. Joseph, supported by a robust slate of parish organizations spanning faith formation, youth, women's fellowship, prayer and service. Trustees, the Parish Council and Planning Committees help steward the parish's life.
- Continuing Christian Education (CCE) — ~700 students
- St. Joseph Young Adult League (SJYAL) — youth ministry for 9th grade and above
- Altar Servers
- San Jose Ladies Forum
- SMCC
- Cherupushpa Mission League (CML) — patron St. Teresa of Little Flower; motto 'Charity, Sacrifice, Service & Suffering'
- Ave Maria Prayer Group
Cherupushpa Mission League (CML)
The Cherupushpa Mission League is one of the parish's named spiritual organizations. Its patron is St. Teresa of Little Flower (whose Syro-Malabar feast day is October 1) and its motto is 'Charity, Sacrifice, Service & Suffering.' Mission League contacts listed by the parish include Ranis MSMI (PH: 956-617-2145).
- Patron: St. Teresa of Little Flower
- Motto: Charity, Sacrifice, Service & Suffering
- Contact: Ranis MSMI — 956-617-2145
Faith Formation — Continuing Christian Education (CCE)
The parish runs a well-organized Continuing Christian Education program that now serves roughly 700 students. CCE classes began with the MSMI Sisters in the 2001–02 academic year (about 120 students) and have grown steadily alongside the parish. Registration for the 2024–2025 academic year was announced on the parish website.
- Program launched 2001–02 with ~120 students
- Currently ~700 students
- Operated in cooperation with the MSMI Sisters
The Syro-Malabar Rite
St. Joseph belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, one of the 24 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. Its liturgical tradition descends from the evangelization of St. Thomas the Apostle in India, and the parish celebrates the Holy Qurbana in Malayalam — the language of Kerala — as well as in English. The St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago, under whose care this parish falls, was the first diocese created outside India for Syro-Malabar faithful.
- Liturgical rite: Syro-Malabar (East Syriac tradition)
- Major Archbishop: Mar Raphael Thattil
- Diocese in the U.S.: St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago (est. 2001)
- Languages used: Malayalam and English
Forane Status and the Wider Texas Mission
In April 2014 Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath announced that the Houston parish would be elevated to a Forane Church to better coordinate the eparchy's vast territory. The St. Joseph Forane now oversees three Syro-Malabar churches and missions across Texas. St. Joseph is also the second-largest parish in the eparchy and the largest in Texas, and was honored to host the 2019 Syro Malabar National Convention.
- St. Thomas Syro Malabar Church — San Antonio, Texas
- Divine Mercy Syro Malabar Church — Edinburg, Texas
- St. Mary Syro Malabar Church — Pearland, Texas
- Hosted the 2019 Syro Malabar National Convention
Devotions and Parish Traditions
Beyond the regular Qurbana schedule the parish keeps several devotional traditions rooted in the Syro-Malabar heritage: weekly novenas to St. Anthony, St. Joseph and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a monthly Night Vigil on the First Friday for spiritual renewal, and a Christmas carol program that visits Syro-Malabar families across the Houston metropolitan area each year after Thanksgiving.
- St. Anthony Novena — Tuesdays after 7 PM Qurbana
- St. Joseph Novena — Fridays after 7 PM Qurbana
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena — Saturdays after 9 AM Qurbana
- Night Vigil — every First Friday
- Annual Christmas carol — visits Syro-Malabar families on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after Thanksgiving
Visit, Contact and Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors can find Holy Qurbana times, confession, adoration and novena times published on the parish homepage and on the 'Our Spiritual Leaders' page. The parish also provides online account look-up, online payment, an adoration sign-up, and a personal-information update form through its website.
- Address: 211 Present St, Missouri City, TX 77489
- Phone: (281) 969-7236
- Website: http://stjosephhouston.org
- Online payment / account look-up available via the website
- Adoration sign-up available via the website
- Personal information change form available on the website
- Facebook: facebook.com/SJSMCCHouston
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Ligory Johnson Phillips KattiakaranOct 2003 – Feb 2009
First Vicar; led the parish from infancy through eight years of growth; previously Mission Director for Syro-Malabar Catholics in Houston.
- Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy ParambukattilMar 2009 – Nov 2013
Succeeded Fr. Ligory; shepherded continued growth and the establishment of the Pearland/Clear Lake/North Houston mission in 2011.
- Rev. Fr. Zacharias ThottuvelilDec 2013 – Apr 2015
- Rev. Fr. Kurian NeduvelichalumkalMay 2015 – May 2021