St. Teresa of Calcutta Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, Nashville

The patron saint of our community is Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. We are blessed to be the first Syro-Malabar community in the United States to bear the name of this saint of our time and our land. Each year, we joyfully celebrate our annual feast on the Saturday closest to September 5th, honoring her life of love and service. Our mission as a community is to “carry the flame of faith and tradition in life and worship across the world.” As a Syro-Malabar community in the United States, we strive to live this calling each day—faithfully preserving our rich heritage, sharing God’s love, and passing on the light of our faith to future generations. On March 13, 2001, His Holiness Pope John Paul II established the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago. His Excellency Mar Jacob Angadiath was appointed as its first bishop, and his Episcopal Ordination took place in Chicago on July 1, 2001, marking the formal inauguration of the Eparchy. St. Teresa of Calcutta Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission of Nashville was erected by Mar Jacob Angadiath on November 29, 2008. Rev. Fr. Regi Augustine Narikunnel currently serves as our Mission Director. Our Sunday Holy Qurbana is celebrated at the Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Nashville, TN. The Syro-Malabar Church is the second largest among the Eastern Catholic Churches. Tracing its roots to St. Thomas the Apostle, this Church—also known as the Church of St. Thomas Christians—was founded in South India, in what is today the State of Kerala, where the faith continues to flourish to this day.