Services
Holy Qurbana: Sunday @ 9:45am ET
Saints Basilios-Gregorios Orthodox Church of Central New Jersey, Inc. (SBGOC) was established on October 1, 2000 through the leadership of Rev. Fr. Dr. Mathew C. Chacko with blessings and Order of His Grace Mathews Mar Barnabas, Metropolitan of the American Diocese.
Saint Basilios of Kothamangalam and Saint Gregorios of Parumala are the Patron Saints of SBGOC.
The church is located in Central Jersey and is the only Malankara Orthodox Syrian church in Central and South Jersey. We have grown steadily and by 2012, our membership grew to around 60 families.
Initially, SBGOC started out with two to three families worshiping as a congregation at St. Sofia’s Theological Seminary in South Bound Brook, New Jersey.
The Church began with a few families worshiping together; it has grown steadily to include over forty families. Our congregation is made up of families of young professionals and college students, and couples seeking to worship according to the Orthodox tradition and to have fellowship with other Indian Orthodox Christians. We are an active, enthusiastic group of people involved in various church activities. We have more than one hundred children in the community now and raising them in the Orthodox Christian faith and life is our greatest challenge. While maintaining our Kerala language and tradition, it is a challenge to help the American born and educated children to grow in the faith and enjoy the worship in both Malayalam and English languages.
In May 2001, we began worshiping in the Seminary Chapel of the Reformed Church of America, [New Brunswick Theological Seminary] on the Rutgers George Street Campus in New Brunswick. In July 2003, our congregation was recognized as a parish under the American Diocese of the Indian Orthodox Church.
In Jan 2012, we acquired a Church of our own at 9 Mercer Avenue, North Plainfield, NJ 07060 and now conduct Holy and Divine Liturgy [Holy Qurbana] at this facility every Sunday followed by Sunday School and meals or light refreshments. The meals/light refreshments are sponsored by the members of the Parish. This is the time used by members to reconnect with other parishioners and increase the fellowship within the community.
Sunday school is a prized gem of our parish. Currently we have over fifty children, ages three to fifteen, attend the Sunday school on a regular basis. There are classes from Pre-KG to High School students. Our children are eager to learn and get involved with the worship and all other church activities. Every summer our children participate in OVBS. Throughout the year they share their talents with the congregation in various programs.
Now that we have a few young people, we have organized a Youth groups that meet periodically and the young men in the group serves as Acolytes and serve at the Altar for Worship Services.
A Unit of Women’s Fellowship led by Mrs. Salo M. Mathai and Mrs. Ammini Jacob meet once a month to discuss topics of concern and interest to the women in our community, studies on the Bible and several aspects of the Christian Faith.
We hold periodic Prayer Meetings usually once a month in various families. Participants read and discuss passages from the Bible and listen to other speakers including the Vicar.
Through the prayers of the Most Holy Mary, the Mother of God, our Patron Saints: Basilios of Kothamangalam and Gregorios of Parumala, the Holy Apostles, and all other saints, we trust that this Church and community will flourish and spiritually enrich the Orthodox Christians in Central Jersey and everywhere.