About Saint Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church · Orlando, Florida
St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic parish serving the Syro-Malabar faithful of the Orlando, Florida metropolitan area. It belongs to the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese (Eparchy) of Chicago, the canonical arm of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church of Ernakulam-Angamaly in the United States. The parish celebrates the Holy Qurbana (Mass) primarily in Malayalam, with additional English services on Sundays, and maintains a full weekly schedule including novenas to St. Antony, St. Jude, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Though it carries an Orlando mailing identity, the church is physically located in neighboring Sanford, FL, and is organized around wards, a parish council, a Department of Catechesis, youth, women's, and St. Vincent de Paul ministries rooted in the Kerala Catholic tradition.
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary's)
- Rector
- Fr. Nicholas Thalakkottur (Vicar, appointed July 2025 onwards)
- Diocese
- St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago (a diocese of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church of Ernakulam-Angamaly, in full communion with Rome)
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers Malayalam-speaking Catholics of Central Florida a place to celebrate the Syro-Malabar Qurbana in their own liturgical and linguistic tradition, with daily and Sunday Masses, weekly novenas to St. Antony (Tuesday), St. Jude (Thursday), and Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Saturday), and First Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The parish is organized around family 'wards' named for saints (St. Alphonsa, St. Mary, St. Thomas, St. Antony, St. Joseph, and Mother Teresa), which gives newcomers an immediate small community to belong to, alongside a Department of Catechesis for children, a Youth Board, a Women's Forum, Mathrujyothi, Sports, and a St. Vincent de Paul chapter for outreach to the needy. As part of the worldwide Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church under the St. Thomas Eparchy of Chicago, parishioners remain fully connected to the wider Syro-Malabar Catholic life and heritage.
Mass times at Saint Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- First Friday: 7:30 PM Holy Qurbana followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 11:00 PM
About the Parish
St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Orlando, FL, is the Syro-Malabar rite parish serving the Malayalam-speaking Catholic faithful of Central Florida. The parish's About page situates it within the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church of Ernakulam-Angamaly, whose head is the Major Archbishop with offices at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia, Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad P.O., Kochi 682030, Kerala, India. In the United States, the parish is canonically under the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese (Eparchy) of Chicago, whose bishop also serves as permanent Apostolic Visitator to Canada.
- Rite: Syro-Malabar (Eastern Catholic, in full communion with Rome)
- Jurisdiction: St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago
- Heritage: evangelization of St. Thomas the Apostle in 52 A.D.; elevated as Major Archiepiscopal Church in 1993
- Worship venue: 2581 S Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL 32773
History of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Parish
The parish's About page tells the wider story of the Syro-Malabar Church from the evangelization of St. Thomas the Apostle through the renewal of the Second Vatican Council (1962), the 1993 elevation of the Church as a Major Archiepiscopal Church, and the 2001 establishment of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago for the Syro-Malabar faithful in the United States. Within this national structure, the Orlando-area community was organized as St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Parish council rosters published on the parish website document successive councils for 2019–21, 2022–23, 2023–25, and 2026–27, showing an established community with rotating lay leadership and regular appointments of vicars from the Eparchy of Chicago.
- 1962: Second Vatican Council renews Eastern Catholic life and mission
- 1993: Syro-Malabar Church elevated as Major Archiepiscopal Church (Ernakulam–Angamaly)
- 2001: St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago established in the USA
- Past councils on record: 2019–21, 2022–23, 2023–25, 2026–27
Holy Qurbana (Mass) Schedule
The parish publishes its full weekly schedule of Holy Qurbana on the homepage and on the Services page. Sunday Qurbana is celebrated at 9:30 AM in Malayalam, with an additional 11:30 AM Qurbana in English/Malayalam on non-summer Sundays (summer schedule is 9:30 AM only). Weekday Qurbana is offered at 7:30 PM Monday through Friday, with First Friday Qurbana followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 11:00 PM. A Saturday morning Qurbana is celebrated at 9:30 AM.
- Sunday: 9:30 AM (Malayalam); +11:30 AM (English/Malayalam) outside summer
- Saturday: 9:30 AM with Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Monday–Friday: 7:30 PM
- First Friday: 7:30 PM, then Adoration until 11:00 PM
Novenas and Devotions
Three weekly novenas structure the devotional life of the parish, each attached to a regular Qurbana. After the Tuesday evening Qurbana, the community prays the Novena to St. Antony; after the Thursday evening Qurbana, the Novena to St. Jude; and after the Saturday morning Qurbana, the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. First Fridays feature Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament following the 7:30 PM Qurbana, continuing until 11:00 PM.
- Tuesday Novena to St. Antony (after 7:30 PM Qurbana)
- Thursday Novena to St. Jude (after 7:30 PM Qurbana)
- Saturday Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help (after 9:30 AM Qurbana)
- First Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (7:30 PM Qurbana, then until 11:00 PM)
Parish Clergy
The parish is served by a Vicar appointed by the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago. According to the parish's Parish Info page, Fr. Nicholas Thalakkottur has served as Vicar since July 2025 (phone 630-822-1905). He succeeded Fr. Siby Sebastian Kocheettathott, MST, who is listed as the Vicar on the 2023–25 parish council roster and in the Eparchy of Chicago parish directory.
- Current Vicar: Fr. Nicholas Thalakkottur (from July 2025)
- Former Vicar: Fr. Siby Sebastian Kocheettathott, MST
Parish Council and Lay Leadership
The parish is governed by a rotating Parish Council elected by the community. The Parish Info page lists trustees, coordinators, ward leaders, and a Pastor Council Member for multiple council years. For 2026–27, the trustees are Alphonsa Shaji, Ann Binus, Joby John, and Jolly Mannanchery; the 2023–25 roster under Fr. Siby Sebastian Kocheettathott included trustees Saji Poulose Pullukara, Jojomon Joseph Plathottam, and Sunny Kaithamattom; and the 2022–23 trustees were Binus Jose and Benny Thomas.
- Parish Council 2026–27 trustees: Alphonsa Shaji, Ann Binus, Joby John, Jolly Mannanchery
- Parish Council 2023–25: led under Vicar Fr. Siby Sebastian Kocheettathott
- Parish Council 2022–23 trustees: Binus Jose, Benny Thomas
- Parish Council 2019–21 trustees: James George Kulapurathu, Antony Sabu
Parish Wards
In a structure typical of Syro-Malabar parishes, St. Mary's divides its families into six named 'wards' led by ward coordinators, providing a small-community setting for fellowship, catechesis, and pastoral care. The 2022–23 ward coordinators listed on the Parish Info page are Poulose Jaison (St. Alphonsa), Rejimol Joseph and George Mathew Kottarathil (St. Mary), Sony Sebastian (St. Thomas), Dr. Varkey Abraham (St. Antony), Sajan Abraham (St. Joseph), and Steson Stephen Muprappallil (Mother Theresa).
- St. Alphonsa Ward — Poulose Jaison
- St. Mary Ward — Rejimol Joseph and George Mathew Kottarathil
- St. Thomas Ward — Sony Sebastian
- St. Antony Ward — Dr. Varkey Abraham
- St. Joseph Ward — Sajan Abraham
- Mother Theresa Ward — Steson Stephen Muprappallil
Ministries and Faith Formation
Beyond the Parish Council and wards, the parish maintains a Department of Catechesis headed by Principal Naiju Michael (with Vice Principal Liya Rajeev), coordinating religious education for the children of the community. A Youth Board under Youth Coordinator Maryann Michael organizes parish youth activities. The Women's Forum is coordinated by Alphonsa Shaji Kariyanimattathil, Mathrujyothi (a mothers'/family apostolate) is coordinated by Gigimol Sabu, the Sports ministry is coordinated by Jilu Augustine, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society for charitable outreach is coordinated by Jose Ouseph Thekkanath (current) with Mathew Simon (Babuchettan) listed for an earlier term. A Pastor Council Member (Sony Thomas Kannottuthara) maintains the link between laity and clergy.
- Department of Catechesis — Principal Naiju Michael; Vice Principal Liya Rajeev
- Youth Ministry / Youth Board — Coordinator Maryann Michael
- Women's Forum — Coordinator Alphonsa Shaji Kariyanimattathil
- Mathrujyothi — Coordinator Gigimol Sabu
- Sports — Coordinator Jilu Augustine
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — Coordinator Jose Ouseph Thekkanath (current); previously Mathew Simon
- Pastor Council Member — Sony Thomas Kannottuthara
Diocese and Wider Church Links
From the homepage, the parish offers direct links to its three governing bodies: the worldwide Syro-Malabar Church, the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago, and the Vatican Holy See. The parish is listed both in the Eparchy of Chicago's parish directory (under the entry 'St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Orlando, FL' at 2581 S Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL 32773) and in the Diocese of Orlando's parish directory as a Syro-Malabar rite mission.
- Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church of Ernakulam-Angamaly (parent church)
- St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese (Eparchy) of Chicago (US jurisdiction)
- Listed in the Diocese of Orlando parish directory as a Syro-Malabar Rite mission
- Eparchy of Chicago parish directory lists the address as 2581 S Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL 32773
Visit, Contact and Practical Information
The parish's Parish Info page provides the practical details a visitor or new parishioner needs: the church's physical address in Sanford, the Vicar's contact phone, and the published phone line for the parish (321-283-2098) listed in the Diocese of Orlando directory. Mass times are repeated on both the homepage and the Services page, and the Services page specifies that the venue for the liturgy is 'St. Mary's Syro Malabar Catholic Church, 2581 S Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL 32773.'
- Church address: 2581 S Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL 32773
- Parish phone (Diocese of Orlando directory): 321-283-2098
- Vicar phone: Fr. Nicholas Thalakkottur — 630-822-1905
- Website: http://stmarysmcc.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Siby Sebastian Kocheettathottthrough 2023–25 council term
Listed as Vicar of St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Orlando, FL in the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Chicago parish directory and on the parish council 2023–25 roster.
- Fr. Nicholas ThalakkotturJuly 2025 onwards
Current Vicar per the parish's Parish Info page; phone 630-822-1905.