The Mother Teresa of Calcutta Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission of Nashville held its annual celebration of its patron saint’s feast day on Saturday, Sept. 17, at St. Pius X Church in Nashville.
The day included Mass, a live auction and luncheon.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the second largest Eastern Rite church in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. It traces its roots to St. Thomas the Apostle, who landed in the present-day southwestern India state of Kerala in 52 A.D. to establish Christian communities.
The Nashville mission has 40 families from throughout the Nashville area consisting of natives of India and their children. The mission is part of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago, which covers all of the United States.
Father Kurian Neduvalichalumkal Varghese, chief finance officer of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago, was the main celebrant of this year’s Mass for the parish feast day.
Father Regimon Augustine, MSFS, the pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, is the mission director.
The community celebrates Mass, also called Holy Qurbana, at 4 p.m. Sundays at the Church of the Assumption in Nashville. Religious education classes for children begin at 3 p.m.
Jose Joseph Padijarekkara of Brentwood and his family were the main sponsors of this year’s parish feast.
