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Holly3278
Guest
Hey everyone. I am wanting to learn more about the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church called Syro-Malabar. Would you please tell me about it or provide me with links where I can learn about it?
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Holly3278
Guest
Thank you. Do you have any other links I can look at? I want to learn more.
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McCartney
Guest
They had one saint - Saint Alphonsa. Wonderful saint performing a lot of miracles. A few days ago they have two more saints recently. It was on CAF a few days ago. All three saints are from South India.
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McCartney
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Holly3278
Guest
That is really cool about the saints! 
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Holly3278
Guest
Do Syro-Malabar Catholics celebrate Palm Sunday and Easter on the same times that Latin Rite Catholics do?
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SyroMalankara
Guest
I am Syro-Malankara Catholic, another Eastern Catholic Church from South India, but can answer for you. All the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in India celebrate Easter, Palm Sunday, Christmas on the same day - all are on the Gregorian.
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Thomas48
Guest
Holly, I am glad that you have an interest in the Syro Malabar Church. One small correction, the Syro Malabar Church is an Eastern Catholic Church of the East Syriac Rite, there is no Syro Malabar Rite.
Some Helpful Links
syromalabarchurch.in/ (Official Website of the Syro Malabar Church)
qadishat.com/2013/10/who-are-st-thomas-christians.html (Abridged St. Thomas Christian/ Syro Malabar History)
Like Brother SyroMalankara stated, the Syro Malabar Church like the other Churches celebrate the days of Holy Week. An interesting distinction of our Holy Week is that the Knanayas of Kottayam Diocese and some other Syro Malabar Catholics celebrate Pesaha or Passover on the night of Holy Thursday.
After families return home from Holy Qurbana, a special un-fermented bread and sweet milk are prepared at home. In both the bread and milk, palm leaves from Palm Sunday are shaped in crosses and placed above the items. The head of the household prays over the bread/milk and distributes it to the rest of the family members.
This celebration is seen as very solemn and extremely revered, none of the bread and milk are wasted and any form of plastic/foil used to encase the items are burned away and the ashes buried. For the rest of Holy Week until Easter, nothing else may be eaten besides the Passover preparations.
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Some Helpful Links
syromalabarchurch.in/ (Official Website of the Syro Malabar Church)
qadishat.com/2013/10/who-are-st-thomas-christians.html (Abridged St. Thomas Christian/ Syro Malabar History)
Like Brother SyroMalankara stated, the Syro Malabar Church like the other Churches celebrate the days of Holy Week. An interesting distinction of our Holy Week is that the Knanayas of Kottayam Diocese and some other Syro Malabar Catholics celebrate Pesaha or Passover on the night of Holy Thursday.
After families return home from Holy Qurbana, a special un-fermented bread and sweet milk are prepared at home. In both the bread and milk, palm leaves from Palm Sunday are shaped in crosses and placed above the items. The head of the household prays over the bread/milk and distributes it to the rest of the family members.
This celebration is seen as very solemn and extremely revered, none of the bread and milk are wasted and any form of plastic/foil used to encase the items are burned away and the ashes buried. For the rest of Holy Week until Easter, nothing else may be eaten besides the Passover preparations.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
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SyroMalankara
Guest
Hi Brother Thomas,
We Malankara Syrians, and our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox and Jacobite Churches have the same Tradition! We even incorporate this in our Churches. In my particular parish, after the Holy Thursday Liturgy, the Pesaha appam is brought to the Bemo, the priest blesses the appam and it is cut by him in the Cross form. Later, it is brought downstairs to the basement/eating area and distributed, most folks take a part of the appam and dip it into the sweet milk and eat, breaking the fast first with Holy Qurbono, secondly with appam and sweetmilk. I’m pretty sure it is not an exclusive Knanya practice, but one of our Syro-Indian Churches as a whole.
We Malankara Syrians, and our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox and Jacobite Churches have the same Tradition! We even incorporate this in our Churches. In my particular parish, after the Holy Thursday Liturgy, the Pesaha appam is brought to the Bemo, the priest blesses the appam and it is cut by him in the Cross form. Later, it is brought downstairs to the basement/eating area and distributed, most folks take a part of the appam and dip it into the sweet milk and eat, breaking the fast first with Holy Qurbono, secondly with appam and sweetmilk. I’m pretty sure it is not an exclusive Knanya practice, but one of our Syro-Indian Churches as a whole.
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Thomas48
Guest
Thank you for informing me SyroMalankara! I was not sure because I remember when growing up that alot of my Syro Malabar/Jacobite neighbors in my town would not have this custom but perhaps it was just the area I lived in.
We used to bring the Pesaha Preparations to church as well and afterwords have the solemn celebration at home but in the United States they ended this custom of bringing it to church because many of the little children would end up making messes inside the Church. So now for us Knanayas we only have the one sole celebration at home. Anyway when the day comes I hope you have a blessed and reverent Pesaha!
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Lesliej64
Guest
For your information, Syro-Malabar Catholics celebrate Palm Sunday and Easter on the same times that Latin Rite Catholics celebrate. They, however, do not celebrate Ash Wednesday, but have instead Ash Monday, i.e., a week before the Latin Ash Wednesday, so that they have around 50 days of Lent.
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