St Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church
Pauline RICHARDS (Cranbourne) (10:32): Last Sunday I was so pleased to visit and inaugurate the St Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church in Cranbourne West. This project was made possible by $500,000 from the Victorian Labor government’s Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund. Many years ago Johney Varghese came to see me and talk about their aspirations for the Keralite community in Victoria and in the south-east to be able to have a home, and to see it realised on Sunday was a great joy. Father Kuriakose Jacob has been in Australia from Kerala for only a few weeks, and he was absolutely delighted to be able to have a home for the community. I also want to acknowledge Madanan Chellappan. I was also really very honoured to be able to see that a very sacred relic from St Thomas the Apostle in Kerala has been gifted to this community’s church. I am very honoured to have such a strong Keralite community.