Friday, December 22, 2006

Why Indian Orthodox Herald ?

Malankara Orthodox Herald was envisioned and started by Late Lamented HH.Baselios Marthoma Mathews 1, the 5th Catholicose and Malankara Metropolitan of Indian (Malankara ) Orthodox Church, in 1982 September 12. The releasing of the first copy of MOH was done by the President of India H.E Gyani Sail Singh. The first copy was received by the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia H.H. Elia before a huge crowd who have come to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Catholicate of the East at Kottayam.

I was a Deacon at that time and lucky enough to be appointed by His Holiness as his press secretary with the thought of starting a news bulletin from his head quarters. With the help of Central Minister Sri.C.M.Stephen and George Varghese Thumpanon, we got sanction to start a news weekly with the name Malankara Orthodox Herald. I was paid by Malankara Office untill Herald has come out. From the very begining some members of the Working committe and the Manager of Malankara Sabha Magazine opposed the move and stopped paying me the salary any more. Since then His Holiness took personal interest and appointed many adviosors from different states of India and asked their help to get as much advertisements to run this weekly.