About St. Mother Teresa [Syro-Malabar] · Henderson, Nevada
St. Mother Teresa of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is a Syro-Malabar (East Syriac, Malayalam-language) parish located at 240 S. Cholla Street in Henderson, Nevada, serving the Kerala Catholic faithful of the greater Las Vegas area. The community gathers under the pastoral care of Fr. George Nangachiveettil and falls within the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago, currently led by Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt. It describes itself as part of a 'two thousand year old history of Indian Catholicism' rooted in the evangelization of St. Thomas the Apostle, and identifies as a small but devoted mission community holding Holy Qurbana (the Syro-Malabar Eucharistic liturgy) on Sundays and Fridays in the Syro-Malabar rite. The parish offers catechism classes for children and supports the Jesus Youth movement, blending Kerala Catholic faith and Malayalam culture with local Nevada life.
- Patron
- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Saint Teresa of Calcutta)
- Rector
- Fr. George Nangachiveettil (Priest in Charge)
- Diocese
- St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago
Why belong here
St. Mother Teresa is a small but warm Syro-Malabar Catholic community where Keralite families in the Las Vegas Valley can worship in their own Malayalam language and preserve their Eastern Catholic heritage. Weekly Sunday Holy Qurbana (9:30 AM) and Friday evening Qurbana with Adoration and Novena (7:30 PM) keep the ancient East Syriac liturgical tradition alive, while Sunday catechism for children and the Jesus Youth movement form the next generation in faith. The parish is directly shepherded by the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Chicago under Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt, linking Henderson's Kerala Catholics to the worldwide Syro-Malabar Church.
Mass times at St. Mother Teresa [Syro-Malabar]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- After Mass by appointment only (Sacrament of Reconciliation)
Adoration times
- Friday 7:30 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, together with Holy Qurbana and Novena)
Welcome & Parish Identity
The parish describes itself as 'the Blessed Mother Teresa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church of Las Vegas' and frames its identity as part of the two-thousand-year heritage of Indian (St. Thomas) Christianity. Its mission is to be a community of devout Catholics growing in faith and reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ, preserving the Syro-Malabar liturgical and cultural tradition in the American Southwest. The opening page features the quote, 'Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love — Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.'
- Worshiped in the Syro-Malabar (East Syriac) rite
- Heritage traced to St. Thomas the Apostle
- Welcomes Keralite Catholic families of the Las Vegas Valley
History & Inauguration
While the parish's own website does not publish a detailed founding date, the community is listed in the eparchial directory of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago. A dedicated 'Inauguration' page on the parish site records the formal beginning of the community, and the parish's earlier leadership is documented through the older Weebly site (Fr. Alex Viruthakulangra CSsR as Spiritual Director, with trustees Jacob Joseph and Mathew Kuzhippala). The current website lists a new pastoral team under Fr. George Nangachiveettil.
- Listed in Eparchy of Chicago directory as 'St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Las Vegas, NV'
- Past pastoral team: Fr. Alex Viruthakulangra CSsR (Spiritual Director)
- Past trustees: Jacob Joseph, Mathew Kuzhippala
Faith Formation & Youth
The parish runs a Catechism (Sunday school) program for children in the Syro-Malabar tradition and supports the Jesus Youth movement, an international Catholic youth initiative strong in Kerala. These ministries are central to the parish's life and are mentioned on both the home page and the menu alongside 'Mass Service' as the three core parish activities.
- Catechism classes for children (Sundays)
- Jesus Youth movement
Leadership & Clergy
The parish is led by a Priest in Charge and a lay board of Trustees, and falls under the pastoral care of the Eparch (Bishop) of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago. Trustees serve as the principal lay contacts for parish business and the inauguration committee.
- Priest in Charge: Fr. George Nangachiveettil — (317) 965-9892
- Trustee: Jinoy Abraham — (702) 300-6611
- Trustee: Stenny Jacob — (702) 883-3355
- Eparch: Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt (St. Thomas Eparchy of Chicago)
Diocese: St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago
The parish belongs to the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago, the Syro-Malabar Eastern Catholic eparchy with jurisdiction over the entire United States. It was erected on March 13, 2001 by Pope John Paul II; its first bishop was Mar Jacob Angadiath, and the current bishop is Mar Joy Alappatt (installed October 1, 2022, having previously served as Auxiliary Bishop from 2014). According to the eparchy, it currently encompasses 50 parishes and 34 missions served by 68 priests, with roughly 85,000 faithful members across the country. The parish's listing in the eparchial directory reads 'St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Las Vegas, NV'.
- Eparchy erected March 13, 2001 by Pope John Paul II
- Headquarters: Chicago area (Bensenville, IL)
- Eparch: Mar Joy Alappatt (since October 1, 2022)
- 50 parishes and 34 missions; ~85,000 faithful nationwide
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone or email, or visit for the scheduled liturgical celebrations. The site also provides a 'Donations' page and a 'Weekly Bulletins' archive, with bulletins published in PDF form (e.g., May 2022 through October 2022).
- Address: 240 S. Cholla Street, Henderson, Nevada 89015
- Phone: (317) 965-9892
- Email: [email protected]
- Liturgical Calendar page available on the parish site
- Weekly bulletins archive (PDF) available online
Syro-Malabar Heritage
As a Syro-Malabar parish, St. Mother Teresa is part of one of the largest Eastern Catholic Churches in the world, in full communion with Rome. The Syro-Malabar Church traces its origin to the evangelization of the Indian subcontinent by St. Thomas the Apostle in the first century, and today is governed by the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, with the St. Thomas Eparchy of Chicago caring for faithful in the United States. The parish preserves this heritage through Malayalam-language liturgy, Kerala-style feast celebrations, and youth programs.
- Eastern Catholic in full communion with the Bishop of Rome
- Tradition: St. Thomas Christians of India
- Liturgical language: Malayalam / East Syriac
- Rite: Syro-Malabar (East Syriac) Qurbana