About Us

The People of the Knanaya Community cherish their ancestry to have been migrated from the Middle East region, particularly the ancient Mesopotamia region to Kodungaloor coast of Kerala (India) in A.D. 345. The aim for the then migration was to help the Christians in Kerala to continue their faith and practices. After their arrival, Christianity flourished and even branched into several Christian denominations. On January 8, 1882, the Knanaya Committee was formed at St. Stephen’s Knanaya church, Veliyanadu (Kerala). An independent autonomous Knanaya diocese under the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch was authorized by Patriarch of Antioch His Holiness Mor Ignatius Abdalla II on August 28, 1910.
Around 1960s, the Knanaya people started migrating to North America. Eventually, few Knanaya families arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania also.

The third Metropolitan of the Knanaya diocese, H.E. Mor Clemis Abraham, the Chief Metropolitan of the East, during his episcopal visit to USA in 1986 visited the families in Philadelphia and informed of his desire to start a worship place there. Rev. Fr. Punnoose Chaluvelil was appointed as the first vicar for the congregation. However due to unforeseeable circumstances, the first prayer meeting of the small congregation was held in 1989 during the visit of Very Rev. Dr. Abraham Thomas Corepiscopo Vazhayil (former Administrator of the North American Knanaya Community).

During the next episcopal visit of H.E. Mor Clemis Metropolitan, a prayer meeting was held at the
residence of Mr. Joy Kuriakose Vilayil on January 11, 1991. At that time, H.E. Mor Clemis Metropolitan appointed Rev. Fr. Markose Chaluparambil as the vicar and Mr. Korah Vilayil as the first treasurer of the newly established congregation/church. The first Divine Liturgy was conducted only on June 23, 1991 (in the Newman Institute at Rising Sun Ave) with few families among all others since the Knanaya faithful were participating in the Holy Qurbono in the local Jacobite church. Our fellow Knanaya brethren from other cities in the northeast region were serving as altar assistants during the Holy Qurbono service for the congregation in Philadelphia. The first building fund was raised during the vicarship of Rev. Fr. Jacob Chacko Ullattil.

During his visit in 1997, H.E. Mor Clemis Metropolitan met with the Dean of the Eastern Theological Seminary in Wynnewood, PA, along with Mr. Thampi Pothen Kavumkal and secured a scholarship for theological studies. This scholarship was for a period of two years for the nominee appointed by the Knanaya Metropolitan. In 1999, Rev. Fr. Anil Thomas Konnakal was nominated as the recipient for the scholarship and thus he joined the seminary
for higher education. He was appointed as the Assistant vicar for the Parish in Philadelphia at that time also. As more Knanaya people migrated to the Philadelphia region, the desire for the faithful was to purchase their own building for their worship. Under the energetic leadership of Rev. Fr. Anil Thomas, a search began for a new Church building. The building on 701
Byberry Road, Philadelphia which was originally a Jewish school, was purchased on December 21, 1999. The church was consecrated as St. Mary’s Knanaya church on September 1, 2001 by H.E. Mor Clemis Metropolitan. We acknowledge the sincere efforts of the building committee convener Mr. Thampi Kavumkal, secretary Mr. Reji Korah Vilayil, and trustee Mr. Joy
Kuriakose Vilayil for the purchasing of the building. Rev. Fr. Punnoose Chaluvelil,                       Rev. Fr. Markose Chaluparambil, Rev. Fr. Jacob Chacko Ullattil, Rev. Fr. Thomas Lahayil,            Rev. Fr. Thomas Chirathalackal, Rev. Fr. Anil Thomas Konnackal, Rev. Fr. Chacko Punnoose Chirayil,Rev. Fr. E. M. U. Abraham, Very Rev. Fr. Cherian Moozhiyil Corepiscopo  have served as vicars of this parish in the past.

In 2009, the Malankara Suriyani Knanaya Association (MSKA) decided to establish four worldwide
regional administrative units for the Knanaya Archdiocese for administrative purposes and H.E. Dr. Ayub Mor Silvanos Metropolitan was appointed in 2009 for the North America and Europe Region of the Knanaya Archdiocese.

In 2016 several of the Knanaya families in the Philadelphia region decided to rent another worship place in Philadelphia, with Rev. Fr. E.M. U. Abraham as the vicar, due to the actions taken in the previous years which were unconstitutional and without following the proper procedures of the Syriac Orthodox faith and practices. In 2016, a ‘new’ name was assigned to the church in Philadelphia as Morth Mariam Knanaya church by H.E. Dr. Ayub Mor Silvanos Metropolitan and declared that the feast of the newly named church shall be celebrated every year on May 15 in commemoration of the festival of Mother Mary for Crops. Holy Qurbono was celebrated in the rented chapel on 510 Somerton Ave, Philadelphia from the beginning of 2017 until 2021. 

During this period, the members of the Morth Mariam Knanaya church decided to start looking for purchasing a property building for worship. Thus, a building committee was formed in August 2019 with Mr. Thampi Pothen Kavumkal as the convener and Mr. James Kizhakedathu as the treasurer. Rev. Fr. Anil Thomas was appointed as the Assistant vicar. The first fund for the purchase of the new building was donated by one of our youngsters Mr. Bichu Kurian Cherumadakala who donated $5,000. All the members were very happy to see a member of the next generation coming forward with the first donation for the building fund. This gave encouragement to other members to come forward and donate for the building
fund. Each family donated at least $5,000 to the building fund. By the grace of God and through the hard work and leadership of Rev. Fr. E. M. U. Abraham and Rev. Fr. Anil Thomas, and with the generous donations of several people in the Philadelphia region and our fellow Knanaya people in different cities in USA, we were able to purchase the building on 251 N. Lafayette Ave, Morrisville, PA for Morth Mariam Knanaya church. The members of the Morth Mariam Knanaya church acknowledges and thank everyone who helped us in one way or other to acquire this building on June 22, 2021. The temporary consecration of the newly acquired church building in Morrisville, PA and the first Holy Qurbono was celebrated by H. E. Dr. Ayub Mor Silvanos Metropolitan on July 18, 2021.

We currently have Sunday School classes for our students, and we have a choir team. The
members of our parish participate in the activities of the North American Knanaya Sunday School Organization (NAKSSO), the North American Knanaya Women’s Organization (NAKWO), the North American Knanaya Youth Organization (NAKYO). Our hope is that our youngsters growing up in the region will learn and understand about the Syriac Orthodox faith, liturgy and the traditions of the Knanaya Community and uphold them in their hearts as near and dear to them as our forefathers did. May God bless our community and may His light lead us in the path of righteousness always.