The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, whose roots can be discovered in the earliest days of Christianity, is one of the oldest Christian denominations. The Church takes great pleasure in being one of the early apostolic Churches, and with good reason. As stated in the New Testament, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26). For a variety of reasons, the Syriac Orthodox Church is rather unusual. First of all, it depicts a Semitic strain of Christianity that is similar to the culture that Christ himself experienced. Second, Syriac, an Aramaic dialect similar to that used by Christ and the Apostles, is used in its liturgy. Thirdly, it contains one of the oldest liturgies that has been passed down from generation to generation. Fourthly, and most significantly, it shows the unity of the body of Christ via the diversity of its adherents. With numerous communities in the diaspora, the Syriac Orthodox believers today are mostly found in Middle Eastern nations, Europe, the Americas, and the Indian State of Kerala.

Few Christian denominations can claim the antiquity of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, whose foundations can be traced back to the very dawn of Christianity. The Church justifiably prides itself as being one of the earliest established apostolic churches. It was in Antioch, after all, that the followers of Jesus were called Christians as we are told in the New Testament, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)

Aramaic, in all of its dialectical varieties, was the official language of Syria and Mesopotamia, and Syriac—originally the Aramaic dialect of Edessa in Northern Mesopotamia—must have been the language’s most significant literary development. When we discuss Syriac Christianity, we are referring to Christians who used Syriac as their liturgical language and whose first language was Syriac. Antioch, Syria’s Roman capital, was not the only location of Syriac Christianity. In truth, Mesopotamia, further East, is where Syriac Christianity originated.

India has a lengthy history of Syriac Christianity. Tradition holds that St. Thomas, who arrived in Malankara (Kerala) from Edessa in AD 52, founded Christianity in India. The Church in Malankara has had close relations to the Near East since at least the fourth century, when a certain Joseph of Edessa visited India and encountered Christians. The Church in Malankara is now an essential component of the Syriac Orthodox Church, whose Supreme Spiritual Head is the Patriarch of Antioch. The Catholicos of India, who was appointed by and is answerable to the Patriarch of Antioch, is the local head of the church in Malankara, Kerala.

The local head of every Archdiocese is an Archbishop. He is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch and is accountable to the Holy Synod. The Archbishop is ordained by the Patriarch and at least two Bishops. Some Archdioceses are ‘Patriarchal Vicarates’; the Patriarchal Vicar, regardless of ecclesiastical office, is accountable directly to the Patriarch. The Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church in North America is a Patriarcal Vicarate directly under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch and All The East. The Archdiocese is under the spiritual care of Archbishop His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho who is the Patriarchal Vicar.