Parumala church festival begins today

The Hindu, Staff Reporter
26 October, 2006

Annual pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Gregorios begins tomorrow

PATHANAMTHITTA: The eight-day annual festival at St. Peter's and St. Paul's Church in Parumala, near Thiruvalla, will begin on Thursday.

Senior Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Church Geevarghese Mar Osthatheos will hoist the ceremonial flag marking the beginning of the festival on the church premises on Thursday afternoon.

The pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Gregorios in Parumala as part of the 104th annual feast of the saint will begin on Friday.

Mar Osthatheos will inaugurate the pilgrim week celebrations at 8.30 a.m. on Friday.

A spiritual retreat followed by prayer will be held, later.

Finance Minister Thomas Isaac will inaugurate the medical camp being organised by the St Gregorios Mission Hospital in Parumala on the Parumala Seminary premises on Saturday forenoon.

Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran will inaugurate the youth meet being organised by the Orthodox Christian Youth Movement (OCYM) at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday.

Kottayam District Collector Raju Narayana Swami will deliver the keynote address on the occasion.

A spiritual retreat will be held at the seminary on October 30 and 31.

Geevarghese Mar Ivaneos Metropolitan will be the chief celebrant at the holy Eucharist to be held at the chapel on the seminary premises at 6.30 a.m. and Dr. Yakoob Mar Ireneus Metropolitan will lead the Eucharist at the church at 7.30 a.m. on November 1.

Dr. Cyriac Thomas, former Vice-Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University, will inaugurate the pilgrims' meet at 2 p.m..

Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Baselius Mar Thoma Didymos I will be the chief celebrant of the holy Eucharist to be held at 8.30 a.m. on November 2.

Holy Eucharist

The Catholicos Designate Paulos Mar Militheos and Kuriakose Mar Cleemis Metropolitan will lead the holy Eucharist to be held earlier at 6 a.m. and 4 a.m. respectively.

The annual Parumala Perunal will come to a close with the holy Rasa at 2 p.m. on November 2.