Thank you for taking the time to visit the website of St Alphonsa Cathedral Melbourne. The members of the Cathedral are the Catholics of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, one of the most vibrant Eastern Churches in the Catholic Communion, who live in the North of Melbourne.

The Syro-Malabar Church traces back its origin to the preachings of St Thomas,the Apostle, in India. We are proud to say that we have always tried to keep up the faith handed down to us by our forefathers.  We embrace it here in Australia and bring up our children in the same faith despite a number of obstacles created by today’s society. We are happy to observe that our life of faith and practice of religion have inspired people of other communities within Australia.

By the grace of God, in 2014, we established an Eparchy here in Australia, although we have not yet a church to call our own. However, this does not impede us to assemble as a faith community for the regular celebration of the Divine Liturgy, for the administration of other sacraments, for catechetical instruction and social gatherings. Now, it is the ardent wish and constant prayer of our community to have a church constructed here. We need it as a place to receive consolation and strength from God in our journey on earth.

All our faithful, who are spread throughout Australia, are also very interested in the construction of the church as it will be the cathedral of the Eparchy of Melbourne. We move forward with the constant hope that God will prepare everything so that we all can spread out our hands towards that house of God in prayer without much delay (1 Kg 8: 31 – 53).

Our community is thankful to our friends, benefactors and well wishers. May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Mother Mary intercede for us. St. Thomas, the Apostle and St Alphonsa, our patroness, pray for us.

  Fr. Varghese Vavolil

St. Alphonsa, the first native woman saint of India, who lived as an unknown simple clarist nun within the four walls of the Franciscan Clarist convent at Bharananganam, in the state of Kerala, is now known all over the world. Her extraordinary power of intercession before her beloved Spouse Lord Jesus Christ,made her dear to everyone. Thousands of people from all walks of life irrespective of caste, creed, religion or country flow to the tomb of the saint to pray for their various needs and to pay homage and gratitude for the innumerable favors they received.

The construction of the St Alphonsa Cathedral, Epping, will be another milestone for the Eparchy of St Thomas, Melbourne. Indeed, it will be a source of pride for all Syro-Malabar Catholics, particularly the migrant Syro-Malabar faithful in Australia and New Zealand. God has sent us to these countries to continue our missionary call for spreading the Good News in every corner of the world after our ancestors received our great faith from St Thomas, the Apostle.

Land of 11,038 sqm was purchased on 3 April 2018 for building the Cathedral was purchased at 53 McKellar Way Epping at a price of $2.1 million and the permit (use and development of a place of worship and caretaker’s residence) from the City Council of Whittlesea was obtained on 23 November 2018. Detailed drawings, structural engineering and other procedures were done in 2019. Now, the paper works and other formalities have almost completed and a builder has been decided. Loan from CDF has also been sanctioned in principle. We hope to start the building works without much delay. Property at 30 Parkland Crescent Mickleham was sold at 1.7 million. We thank God the Almighty for his providence and our families and benefactors for their support. In every sense, the design for the Cathedral will reflect most of the features and architecture of our traditional Syrian churches in Kerala internally, that will cater to sacramental life of the faithful within the diocese.