On Sunday 29 August, Archdeacon Adrian Wilkinson met with the Revd Fr Mathew K Mathew at St Michael’s Church in Blackrock. Fr Mathew is a priest of The Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church and is the newly appointed vicar to their congregations in Waterford, Galway and Cork. He is based in Waterford and was meeting the congregation and presiding at his first service in the church that afternoon. 

Fr Mathew is from Kerala in south India. He studied at the Orthodox Theological Seminary at Kottayam between 2008 and 2013. Before coming to Ireland a few weeks ago, he was chaplain at Mar Gregorios Orthodox Chapel there, as well as chaplain at St Thomas Orthodox congregation at Manipal in Karnataka. 

For well over a decade, the Indian Orthodox community in Cork and Kerry has worshipped in St Michael’s. Speaking about this ongoing link Archdeacon Wilkinson said:

Over the years I have met all of Fr Mathew’s predecessors who have ministered here in Cork. I have also had the privilege of meeting their bishop when he visited Ireland. It has been an enriching link for us, and we are delighted that the Indian Orthodox community uses our church on a regular basis for their liturgies. I extend a very warm welcome to Fr Mathew and hope that he will know God’s blessing as he begins a new chapter in his ministry here in Ireland.