During the years 1973–1974, in search of better opportunities, a few Syro-Malabar Catholic families settled in the Hartford region of the state of Connecticut. Due to their shared language, religion, culture, and traditions, the families would frequently come together for social gatherings and prayer meetings. As the years went by, the size of the community began to grow. Shortly thereafter, they began to reach out to the local Syro-Malabar priests, who were serving in the Archdiocese of Hartford at the time, requesting them to cater to their spiritual needs.

Rev. Father Joseph Parel was one of the first priests to extend his help to the budding faith community. Soon after, in 1981, Fr. Cyriac Maliekal also began to serve the people of this community by offering the Qurbana according to the Syro-Malabar Rite. As the community continued to grow, the requests to make regular arrangements for the celebration of Holy Qurbana also began to increase. By 1998, these requests were granted. With the gracious permission of the Archbishop of Hartford, Fr. Thomas Puthiyidom began to celebrate the Holy Qurbana on the second Sunday of every month at St. Helena Church in West Hartford, CT. In 2001, Bishop Jacob Angadiath officially approved the community as the “St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Mission.” This Mission was affiliated with the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago, and Fr. Thomas Puthiyidom was appointed as the first director in charge of the faith community.

Many years later, in 2011, Bishop Jacob Angadiath appointed Fr. Joseph Naduvilekutt as the full-time director of the Mission. Father Naduvilekutt began to celebrate the Holy Qurbana more frequently, with a weekly Sunday Qurbana, and he also initiated catechism classes for the children of the community. Following Fr. Naduvilekutt, Fr. Francis Nambiaparambil was appointed as director in 2013, and he began the first fundraising efforts for the Church. Subsequently, while working as a full-time chaplain at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Fr. Joseph Pullikattil was appointed by the bishop as the new Mission director in 2014. During that time, Thomas Chennadu and Thomas Mathew were the trustees of the Parish.

As the number of families increased, prayer wards (based on town location) began to form. The ward groups include St. Joseph’s Ward (West Hartford), St. Mary’s Ward (West Hartford), St. Alphonsa’s Ward (Newington), St. Chavara’s Ward (Farmington), St. Euphrasia’s Ward (Rocky Hill), St. Thomas Ward (South Windsor), and Blessed Kunjachan Ward (Cheshire). During the period of 2015–2016, George Joseph and Baby Mathew were the trustees.

In 2017, Archbishop Leonard Blair appointed Fr. Joseph Pullikattil as the Parochial Vicar of St. Helena Church, with a principal focus on the Syro-Malabar Catholic community. This appointment gave a sense of identity to the Syro-Malabar faithful, who had worshiped at St. Helena’s Church for the past seventeen years. During 2017–2018, Mr. Jobi Augustine and Mr. Arun Jose were appointed as trustees, and the parish council took special interest in exploring the possibility of securing a Church for the community. In 2019, Mr. Allwyn Mathew and Mr. Binnoy Scaria were appointed as trustees, and a purchasing committee was formed under the chairmanship of Mr. Arun Jose. By 2020, fundraising efforts to purchase the Church of Saint Helena became a priority. With the support of the trustees, parish council, and purchasing committee, Fr. Joseph Pullikattil worked tirelessly to accomplish the dream of the Mission: to have their very own Church. Father Joseph’s spiritual insight, prayer life, and hard work were instrumental in helping the community achieve this long-time dream. By the end of 2020, the community successfully raised $950,000 toward the building purchase fund. Fr. Joseph Pullikattil, along with the purchasing committee members, met with Fr. Joseph Divine, who expressed a willingness to offer St. Helena Church to the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Mission community.

In June 2020, St. Helena Church, with all its facilities and 5.3 acres of land, was purchased by the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Mission and was remodeled according to the architectural design of a Syro-Malabar Church. On July 10, 2021, in the presence of bishops, priests, parishioners, and guests, Rt. Rev. Jacob Angadiath rededicated the Mission as the 49th parish of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago.

Through the providence of God, and with more than one hundred registered families, St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Parish is currently the largest Indian Christian community in Connecticut and takes a purposeful role in contributing to the religious and cultural flourishing of the Archdiocese of Hartford and to the broader society. Presently, there are more than 75 registered students in the Sunday School. Within the community, there are active members in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Conference (SMCC), Women’s Forum, Knights of Columbus, Diocesan Youth Association (DYA), and Cherupushpa Mission League (CML).

From humble beginnings, the faithful community has progressed to become the first Syro-Malabar parish in the state of Connecticut, with Fr. Joseph Pullikattil serving as the first vicar of the parish. The community has a 16-member parish council, with Reji Nellik and Anil Mathew as trustees, Davis Paulose as pastoral council member, and Deepa John as secretary. All seven family unit leaders effectively carry out their responsibilities with great dedication as well.

This parish stands out among similar Syro-Malabar parishes in the diocese for its example of Christian love among the parish families. The members of this community are always willing to lend a helping hand and view each other as members of their own extended family. Let us pray that this sense of love and friendship continues as we journey forward together and grow in our faith.