The Canadian Marthoma Church, Toronto

The migration of Malayali Mar Thoma Christians from Kerala and other parts of India to Canada began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with early settlers arriving to pursue higher education and better economic opportunities. Settling primarily in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), these immigrants brought with them the rich faith and traditions of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. By 1972, a small but dedicated group began worshiping together at Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto, laying the essential groundwork for what would become a thriving Mar Thoma community in Canada. During this foundational period, the worshiping group was guided by its earliest spiritual leaders: the Late Rev. Abraham Lincoln (1972–1975); Rev. C. I. George (1975–1976, who later became the Late Rt. Rev. Geevarughese Mar Athanasius); the Late Rt. Rev. Easow Mar Thimothios (1976–1977) and Rev. Dr. Ipe Joseph (1977–1981), whose dedicated pastoral care helped elevate the congregation to official status in 1978.

In 1981, the community was officially recognized as a parish, named "The Canadian Mar Thoma Church Toronto," sparking a new era of growth and a deep desire for a permanent spiritual home. A monumental milestone was reached in July 1987 when the expanding parish purchased its first permanent place of worship—a beautiful heritage building originally constructed in 1870 at 313 Main St. N. in Markham, Ontario. This historic site served as the vibrant hub for the Malayali Christian diaspora to witness Christ and celebrate their liturgy. A succession of dedicated vicars oversaw the parish’s establishment and its decades in this first church: Rev. George Jacob (1981–1984; the current Mar Thoma Church supremo, Most Rev. Dr. Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan), the Late Rev. M. S. Varghese (1984–1987), Rev. M. J. Joseph (1987–1991), Rev. Dr. Y. George (1991–1994), Rev. Dr. Prakash K. George (1994–1998), Rev. George Mathew (1998–2001), Rev. Mathew Thomas (2000–2001), Rev. T. S. Thomas (2001–2004), Rev. Dr. Mathew M. Thomas (2004–2007), Rev. Manoj M. Zacharia (2007–2008), Rev. A. Abraham (2008–2011), and Rev. Dr. John Panicker (2011–2014).

As new immigrants continued to arrive in the GTA, the community experienced unprecedented growth. To better accommodate families in the western region, an independent parish, St. Mathew's Mar Thoma Church, was formed in 2001. Meanwhile, the mother parish eventually outgrew its Markham heritage site and, in October 2017, dedicated a modern, newly constructed facility with a seating capacity of 600 to 800 in Whitchurch-Stouffville at 159 Sandiford Dr, Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON L4A 0Y2 to serve its burgeoning congregation. Throughout this modern era of expansion, facility building, and relocation, the church has been faithfully led by Rev. Shibu Samuel (2014–2018). Later, Rev. Sunil Mathew (2018–2021) and Rev. Roji Mathews Abraham (2022–2025) served. Today, the Canadian Mar Thoma Church in Toronto is proudly led by its current vicar, Rev. Dr. Subin John (2026–present), as the community continues to flourish and serve 400+ families. Looking to the future, construction of a Community Hall on the church property with a seating capacity of 600 is progressing and is strategically planned for completion by December 2026.