CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

Here is a chronological description of events that happened in the history of Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Parish of Chicago. The church grew from the Knanaya Catholic Mission to a parish and then forane. The church acknowledges all those who worked to make this forane a reality and especially thanks the bishops, priests, and lay leaders who contributed much to this parish. You can click on the time periods in the pull-down menu above to read a detailed chronology.

A SUMMARISED VERSION OF THE CHRONOLOGY IS GIVEN BELOW

1981 January: Knanaya Catholics in Chicago requested the Bishop of Kottayam Mar Kuriakose Kunnassery to send a priest from Kottayam diocese to offer pastoral serve to them.

1981 March 18: Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry wrote to His Eminence John Cardinal Cody, Archbishop of Chicago expressing his willingness to provide a priest to serve the Knanaya Catholics in Chicago.

1982 February 16: The Archdiocese of Chicago rejected the proposal to start a Knanaya Mission in Chicago.

1982: Get together of the Knanaya Catholics in Chicago on alternate Saturdays after 5:30 P.M. Latin Mass at St. Alphonsus church. They also arranged Syro-Malabar Qurbana at the basement chapel of St. Alphonsus Church whenever a Syro-Malabar priest was available.

1983 September 27: Rev. John C. Hergenrother, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago held a meeting with two representatives each from four Knanaya and non-Knanaya Catholic associations and decided to accept Fr. Jacob Chollampel proposed by Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry to serve all Kerala Catholics in Chicago.

1983 October 28: Fr. Jacob Chollampel reached Chicago and started special ministry to the Kerala Catholics while living in the rectory of St. Ita church.

1984 October: Non-Knanaya Syro-Malabar Catholics in Chicago wrote to Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Syro-Malabar Bishop’s Conference asking for a separate ministry for Non-Knanaya Catholics in Chicago.

1985 August 25: The Archbishop of Chicago established separate Syro-Malabar ministry for non-Knanaya Syro-Malabarians while maintaining the ministry by Fr. Chollampel for Knanaya Catholics. Thereby, the Knanaya Ministry in Chicago came into effect.

1985 Sept. – Dec.: Fr. Jacob Chollampel returned to India and the community could not get a Knanaya priest from Kottayam diocese because of the membership dispute of the Knanaya ministry.

1985 December 3: Fr. Anthony Kurialacherry, the spiritual director of Syro-Malabar Catholic Community of Chicago and a hospital chaplain Fr. C.T. Vayalil from the Archdiocese of Changanacherry helped the Knanaya ministry to continue Syro-Malabar Mass at St. Benedict’s Church on every Saturday evening.

1987 January 23: Rev. Robert L. Kealy assigned Fr. Zacharias Elapunkal, the then director of the Syro-Malabar Ministry, to coordinate the services of the Syro-Malabar priests who were celebrating the liturgy for the Knanaya Syro-Malabar Ministry.

1988 May 31: Archbishop of Chicago appointed Fr. Cyriac Manthuruthil as director of Knanaya Catholic Mission while residing as St. Ferdinand’s Church in Chicago.

1988 July 23: Inauguration of a new “Knanaya Catholic Mission” at St. Henry’s at 6:30 P.M. Mass was offered at St. Henry’s Church every other Saturday night at 6:30 P.M.

1991 October 26: 1991 October 26: Agreement signed for the use of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church by Rev. Fr. Norbert Zawistanowicz, pastor of IHM Church and Rev. Fr. Cyriac Manthuruthil, Knanaya Mission Director.

1995 August 16: Archbishop of Chicago appointed Fr. Simon Edathiparambil as the director of Knanaya Catholic Mission with his residence at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.

1999 June 25: Archdiocese of Chicago appointed Fr. Philip Thodukayil as the director of Knanaya Catholic Mission with his residence at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.

2003 February 16: Vicar General Fr. Abraham Mutholath moved to Chicago and started living at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Chicago while working as chaplain at Our Lady of Resurrection Hospital at Addison and Central in Chicago.

2003 October 29: Mar Jacob Angadiath officially recognized the Knanaya Catholic Mission of Chicago, along with nine other Knanaya Catholic Missions in the USA, as a mission of the St. Thomas Diocese of Chicago. He also confirmed the appointment of Fr. Philip Thodukayil as the director of this mission. Mar Jacob Angadiath extended the boundary of the mission to include all Knanaya Catholics living in the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

2004 July 1: Fr. Philip Thodukayil left for India. Mar Jacob Angadiath appointed Fr. Abraham Mutholath, the vicar general, also as the director of the mission.

2004 September 4: An additional Syro-Malabar Qurbana was started at St. Peter’s Church in North Lake on every Saturday at 5:00 P.M.

2004 September 11 & 12: Started Religious Education School at North Lake and IHM school.

2005 May 22: Mar Mathew Moolakkatt requested the Knanaya Catholics in Chicago to establish our own church during his homily at IHM Church. The planning to have our own church started.

2005 June 18: Mass for Chicago Suburb was moved from St. Peter's Church in North Lake to the hall of St. Joseph's Church in Addison.

2005 September: The Sunday 5:30 P.M. mass was shifted from IHM to Our Lady of Victory (OLV) church.

2005 October 2: Search committee formed to find a suitable church to buy for the mission.

2005 December 4: Celebrated the Sacerdotal Silver Jubilee of our Mission Director Rev. Fr. Abraham Mutholath at OLV Church. Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath was the chief guest. Mission members contributed $44,337 to the church building fund during Jubilee Celebration meeting at OLV School Hall.

2006 April 30: Mar Jacob Angadiath officially declared the establishment of Knanaya Catholic Region at OLV Church Chicago and appointed Vicar General Rev. Fr. Abraham Mutholath as the Region Director.

2006 May 25: While celebrating the solemn feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus from May 25 – 28, 2006, Mar Jacob Angadiath announced that the name of the church to be bought would be “Sacred Heart Syro-Malabar Knanaya Catholic Parish.”

2006 June 24: Fr. Abraham Mutholath revealed the location of the church to be bought during the Music Concert by Rev. Fr. Paul Poovathumkal at Thaft High School Auditorium. The music concert was a fundraising program organized by the women's ministry for the purchase of the new church.

2006 July 15: Originally planned date of inaugurating the former St. James Church in Maywood as Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Church. Because of a severe objection on the location of the proposed church, Mar Jacob Angadiath suspended the plan for purchase of the church.

2006 July 16: Originally planned Parish Inauguration Banquet at Crown Jewel Banquet Hall in Des Plaines. During this banquet, more than 400 families submitted a petition in favor of purchasing the church. Based on that, Mar Jacob Angadiath announced his decision to purchase St. James Church in Maywood for Knanaya Catholic Mission.

2006 Sept. 1, Friday: First Syro-Malabar Qurbana at St. James Church in Maywood for Knanaya Catholic Mission at 7:00 P.M.

2006 Sept. 3, Sunday: Inauguration of Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Church in Maywood at 10:00 A.M. by Vicar General and mission director Rev. Fr. Abraham Mutholath and parish council members.

2006 September 22: Official purchase of Church property from the Archdiocese of Chicago.

2006 September 24: Blessing of the interior architectural work of Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Church and declaration of Knanaya Catholic Mission as Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Parish and appointment of Mission Director Rev. Fr. Abraham Mutholath as pastor of the parish by His Excellency Mar Jacob Angadiath.

2006 December 25: Vicar General Fr. Abraham Mutholath sent a circular announcing the formation of St. Mary’s Unit for those Knanaya Catholics who continued attending OLV church for their pastoral needs with effect from January 1, 2007.

2007 January 1: Start date of St. Mary’s Knanaya Catholic Parish Unit in Chicago.

2007 May 31: Purchase of Rectory from the Archdiocese of Chicago.

2007 June 1: Dedication of Knanaya Catholic Parish Cemetery at Queen of Heaven Cemetery by Bishops Mar Jacob Angadiath, Bishop of Miao Mar George Pallipparambil, and Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Paprocki, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

2007 July 2: Cardinal Varkey Vithayayil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church visited our parish and offered Holy Mass along with Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath.

2008 January 19: Fr. Abraham Mutholath blessed Sacred Heart Church in the Diocese of Miao sponsored by Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Parish in Chicago. Thirty members from Chicago Knanaya Catholic Parish participated in the function.

2008 July 13: Blessing of Knanaya Cemetery Shrine by Bishop Mar Joseph Pandarasseril, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Kottayam.

2008 October 26: Blessing of renovated sanctuary at Sacred Heart Church by Bishop Mar Mathew Moolakkatt and Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath.

2009 August 16: The General Body at OLV church decided to buy the second Knanaya Catholic Church at Morton Grove.

2010 January 14: St. Mary’s Unit of the parish bought a Jewish Synagogue at 7800 W. Lyons St., Morton Grove, IL 60053 for St. Mary’s Knanaya Catholic Church.

2010 May 2: Consecration of the Cathedral of the Diocese of Miao. The sanctuary of the Cathedral is sponsored by Sacred Heart Parish and St. Mary’s Unit. A huge statue of Jesus in front of the Cathedral was sponsored by vicar Fr. Abraham Mutholath who took part in the consecration of the Cathedral along with Joy Chemmachel.

2010 July 18: Consecration of St. Mary’s Church in Morton Grove by Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath, Mar Mathew Moolakkatt and Mar Joseph Pandarasseril. The unit was elevated as a parish and Fr. Abraham Mutholath was appointed as its pastor. The Visitation Convent building at 7801 W. Maple St., in Morton Grove near St. Mary’s Church was blessed by the bishops on the same day after the consecration of the St. Mary's Church in Morton Grove.

2012 January 1: Fr. Saji Pinarkayil, who has been associate pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s Knanaya Catholic parishes in Chicago, took charge as the pastor of the parish.

2012 October 9: Purchase of a house in Elmhurst as rectory for the parish.

2012 November 27: Blessing of the rectory at Elmhurst by His Grace Mar Mathew Moolakkatt.

2014 October 18: Mar Jacob Angadiath transferred Fr. Saji Pinarkayil to Houston and transferred Fr. Abraham Mutholath from St. Mary’s Parish to the Sacred Heart church for a second term.

2015 March 22: Mar Jacob Angadiath elevated the parish as a Forane in the presence of Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt and Bishop Mar Lawrence Mukkuzhy. Fr. Abraham Mutholath was appointed as forane vicar.

2015 September 6: Fr. Abraham Mutholath inaugurated the 10th year observance of the parish.

2015 September 12: Chicago Forane Bible Fest held at St. Mary’s Church in the presence of Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakkatt and Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath.

2016 September 9: Inauguration of the 10th anniversary celebration of the parish by Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakkatt.

2016 September 10: The second day of the 10th anniversary celebration of the parish. Mar Jacob Angadiath started the twelve-hour adoration.

2016 September 11: Final Day of the 10th anniversary celebration of the parish. Major Archbishop Mar George Cardinal Alancherry inaugurated the program. Other dignitaries were Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakkatt, Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath, Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt, and Bishop Most Rev. Dr. Michael Mulhall (Canada). Priests from the Knanaya Region and other invited priests were concelebrants for the Holy Mass.

2017 January 15: Blessing of Sacred Heart Church in the Diocese of Miao sponsored by Chicago Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Parish as souvenir of the tenth anniversary of the parish.