Our worship
Our services follow the ancient West Syrian Liturgical Rite, with Holy Qurbana generally celebrated on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM — exact dates are announced ahead of time.
Welcome — we’re glad you’re here. Whether you’re visiting Thunder Bay or looking for a spiritual home, you’re invited to join us.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
8:30 AM
St. George the Martyr Anglican Church
304 McIntyre St, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 3B6
We would love to hear from you.
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St. George the Martyr Anglican Church · 304 McIntyre St, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 3B6
St. George the Martyr Anglican Church · 304 McIntyre St, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 3B6 — ample street and host-facility parking.
DirectionsVisiting St. Mary’s for the first time? Here is what to expect.
Our services follow the ancient West Syrian Liturgical Rite, with Holy Qurbana generally celebrated on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM — exact dates are announced ahead of time.
We are an active and growing parish family — students, young families, and working professionals — and we love welcoming new faces. Just walk in: someone will greet you at the door and help you feel at home.
Families with children of all ages are warmly welcomed. If little ones get restless during the long liturgy, feel free to step into the vestibule or the rear of the host facility and return when ready.
We gather at St. George the Martyr Anglican Church, 304 McIntyre St, Thunder Bay. Ample parking is available via the surrounding streets and the host facility’s parking areas.
Our services follow the ancient West Syrian liturgical tradition, celebrated primarily in Malayalam — English is being planned.
Generally the second Saturday of every month · 8:00 AM
Holy Qurbana at our host venue, St. George the Martyr Anglican Church, 304 McIntyre St, Thunder Bay. Exact dates are announced ahead of time — please check the announcements above. Special services are held for Christmas, Holy Week, and other special occasions.
Seasonal & as announced
Evening prayer and meditation are held from time to time, especially during lent and fasting seasons, and choir practices are held on Saturdays. For Holy Confession, please contact Rijo (primary contact) to arrange one ahead of the next Holy Qurbana.
Our signature annual feast is the Parish Perunnal — Shoonoyo Perunnal, the Feast of the Ascension of St. Mary — observed August 1–15 each year and culminating on August 14–15 with Holy Qurbana, the Perunnal procession, the OVBS valedictory function, Nercha (the feast meal), and fellowship.
Who we are, and the ancient faith we carry.
We are a growing congregation of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (the Indian Orthodox Church) in Thunder Bay — known to many as SMOCC — and a spiritual “home away from home” for Kerala (Malayali) immigrants, working professionals, and international students, including those at Lakehead University and Confederation College. Whether you are a member of our parish family, a friend of our tradition, or someone searching for a spiritual home, you are warmly welcome to join us for prayer, fellowship, and the Holy Qurbana.
Our Church traces its origin to the Apostle St. Thomas, who, according to tradition, brought the Gospel to the Malabar Coast of India in 52 AD. For nearly two thousand years the faithful of Malankara have kept the West Syrian liturgical tradition — the Liturgy of St. James — in an unbroken line of worship.
Before 2024 there was no permanent Malankara Orthodox liturgical presence in Northwestern Ontario. Under the blessings of Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, the first-ever Holy Qurbana in Thunder Bay was celebrated on Saturday, February 10, 2024, by our founding vicar, Rev. Fr. Mathew Thomas. The gathering of families and international students then formed into a mission congregation, worshipping through an ecumenical partnership at St. George the Martyr Anglican Church — where we still gather today.
On November 1, 2024, the Catholicos of the East, Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, established the Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Canada, and our community was designated a permanent charter congregation. In early 2025 we elected our first standalone executive committee, and later that year Rev. Fr. Sijo John succeeded Fr. Mathew Thomas as Vicar, leading us into a new season of life and growth.
Each of our leadership lists has a card of its own — scroll sideways to see them all.
2026 office bearers — elected at the General Body Meeting on December 25, 2025, approved by H.G. Zachariah Mar Nicholovos on January 6, 2026.
2025 office bearers — with thanks for their service.
Head of the Church & of the Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Canada
The spiritual father of our parish family.
Rev. Fr. Sijo John
Fr. Sijo John has served as our Vicar since 2025, succeeding our founding vicar Rev. Fr. Mathew Thomas (2024–2025). He hails from the Adoor-Kadampanad Diocese in Kerala and trained at the historic Orthodox Theological Seminary (Old Seminary) in Kottayam.
Before coming to Canada he served as Principal of St. Xavier’s School in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, where his students earned a 100% pass rate in the ICSE and ISC board examinations. In Thunder Bay he has expanded our Holy Week services, anchors the regular Saturday Holy Qurbana, personally oversees the Orthodox Vacation Bible School, presides over the annual Parish Perunnal, and established the parish’s MMVS women’s fellowship and OCYM youth movement.
Available by appointment for house blessings, Holy Confession, baptism, and pastoral counseling — +1 (437) 667-7268
The spiritual wings of our parish — there is a place for everyone.
Religious instruction for our children
Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Students Movement
Marth Mariam Vanitha Samajam — Women’s Fellowship
Orthodox Christian Youth Movement
Voices of worship at our services
Young men and laity assisting in the sanctuary
Regional cottage prayer meetings
Living the Gospel through action
Orthodox Vacation Bible School
Moments from our parish life. More photos on our social pages below.
Have more photos to share? Please contact us.