Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan Visits St. George’s Church, Chandanappally – Pathanamthitta

On the morning of Friday, 19 September 2025, at ten o’clock, His Beatitude Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church of Antioch, visited St. George’s Church in Chandanappally, which belongs to the Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of Pathanamthitta in Kerala, India.

At the entrance of the church, he was warmly received by Rev. Fr. Benny, parish priest, together with a large gathering of the faithful who had come to receive the Patriarch’s blessing. To the solemn sound of the hymn traditionally sung for the reception of chief hierarchs, and led by the parish choir, His Beatitude entered the church in a ceremonial procession.

Fr. Benny welcomed the Patriarch with heartfelt words of filial affection, expressing deep gratitude for this fatherly visit, and affirming the pride of the parish in its ancient Syriac faith and traditions.

In his paternal address, the Patriarch expressed his joy at visiting the beautiful church of St. George, praising the faith and devotion of the parishioners — men and women alike — and their steadfastness in living out their Christian identity within the Syriac tradition. He also noted the atmosphere of freedom enjoyed in India, and especially in Kerala, which allows communities to live their faith openly and fruitfully.

He recalled the witness of St. Ignatius of Antioch, who wrote in his letters that the Church of Christ is Catholic, that is, universal. “It is in this universality,” he observed, “that we share the joy of your communion with the See of Rome.” He concluded by thanking the parishioners for their generous welcome and faithful service in the life and mission of the Church, invoking the intercession of St. George and the Blessed Virgin Mary for the growth of the parish and the success of its families.

The Patriarch was accompanied by Most Rev. Barnaba Joseph Habash, Most Rev. Ephrem Joseph Abba, Abbot Edmond Rizk, Monsignor Habib Mourad, Monsignor Abdo Abou Kassem, Rev. Fr. Jean Younes, Rev. Fr. Paul Kass Dawood, Rev. Fr. Saïd Massouh, Rev. Fr. Karim Kalash, Rev. Fr. Ephrem al-Jazrawi, Rev. Fr. Tarek Khayyat, Mother Huda al-Halou, and Sister Ikhlas Sheeto.