The movement to form the Church that later became St. Marys Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, began when few Pathriarkees members met on Saturday the 28th of January 2006 at Uniting church, South Strathfield, to discuss about forming a congregation in Sydney. The meeting was attended by 18 people and it was decided to go ahead and form a congregation in Sydney. The members then contacted the Syrian Orthodox Arch bishop in Australia, H E Mor Malatius Malki Malki and sought his help in setting up a Jacobite congregation and Sunday holy Qurbana. His Eminence welcomed the idea with all his heart and offered the premises of St Ephraim Cathedral at Lidcombe, Sydney and the services of the priests reporting to him to help us with the cause.
The first general body of the Pathriarkees members was then called for to be conducted on Saturday 11th of February 2006 under the auspicious of H E Mor Malatius Malki Malki. The general body unanimously decided to name the church as St Marys Jacobite Syrian Orthodox church, a name that was initially suggested by H G Kuriakose Mor Theophiles who was then the head of outside India diocese. The general body then elected a committee consisting of a Trustee, a Secretary and eleven committee members. The general body also decided to celebrate holy Qurbana on every Sunday afternoon at 4pm. Thus, on Sunday 12th February 2006, the very next day after its establishment, Rev Fr George Alkam of the Syrian Orthodox Church celebrated the first holy Qurbana for the congregation. Thereafter, Very Rev Fr Zeki Zitoun who is the vicar of St. Ephraim Cathedral, Lidcombe volunteered to celebrate the holy Qurbana regularly.
Upon the invitation of the congregation, Very Rev Fr. Peter Velamparambil arrived in Sydney from Kerala in 2006 to guide the congregation through the holy week season of the year. Coincidentally, earlier on the very same day the Church also had its first prayer meeting at the residence of a member. Fr. Velamparambil celebrated the first Malayalam Qurbana for the congregation in Sydney on the next day of his arrival, 2nd April 2006 that was attended by over 80 people. Subsequently Fr. Sabu Paulose, Fr. George Vayalipparambil, Fr. Geevarghese Kuzhiyelil, Fr. Joseph Kunnappillil, Fr. Varghese Paul Thombra and Fr. Manish Kuriakose have served the congregation as its vicars through these years. The dedicated service and spiritual guidance of these reverent fathers have immensely helped the congregation to grow and expand into what it is now.
The congregation takes pride in the fact that by God’s grace, there has been a holy Qurbana on every Sunday after the congregation was initially formed and has regular Sunday school classes and monthly prayer meetings. We have very active institutions of church such as Sunday School, Martha Mariyam Vanitha Samajam, Youth forum and MGJSM.