CSI Holy Trinity Congregation, Dublin, Ireland

• The CSI diaspora community in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland had to wait until the first and second decades of the twenty-first century to form their CSI Congregations.
• In the Republic of Ireland, many of them were already members of various churches in the Church of Ireland. In 2010, some of them decided to assemble in their homes once in a month and conduct Cottage Prayers. They also decided to explore possibilities of holding a Holy Eucharist in Malayalam
• In August 2010, the first Cottage Prayer was held, and in February 2011, the first Holy Eucharist as per the CSI rite in Malayalam was conducted.
• The seven months from August 2010, when the first Cottage Prayer was held, to February 2011, when the first Holy Eucharist was celebrated, were days of God’s immense guidance and providence. After the first Cottage Prayer in August 2010, when the initial discussions about forming a Congregation was held, on 31 October 2010, a resolution to form a CSI Congregation was passed unanimously during the second Cottage Prayer. On 7th December 2010, a request letter was submitted to the Most Reverend Dr John Neill, the Archbishop of Dublin (Church of Ireland) requesting his permission, to which the Archbishop replied positively. On 28 December 2010, Bishop Thomas Samuel officially wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Dublin exploring the possibilities of forming a CSI diaspora Congregation of the Diocese of Madhya Kerala in Dublin.
• On 31 December 2010, the congregation obtained permission to conduct the CSI Worship Service in that Church. The Reverend Dr Jacob Thomas, an ordained Presbyter of the CSI Diocese Madhya Kerala Diocese, who was teaching in Belfast Bible College, UK, agreed to conduct the Worship Services (once in a month) for the Congregation.
• The members also met Reverend Obinna Ulogwara (Chaplain for International Community, Church of Ireland) and Mr Philip McKinley (Ecumenical officer of Irish Inter-Church committee) to understand the faith and order of the Church of Ireland. The meeting was fruitful, and they pledged their support for the efforts to form a CSI Congregation.
• The Archbishop Most Reverend Dr John Neill, based on the recommendation of Bishop Thomas Samuel, gave Reverend Dr Jacob Thomas, the ‘Permission to Officiate’ in the CSI Malayalam Congregation.
• On Saturday, 5 February 2011, at 10.30 AM, the first Holy Eucharist in Malayalam was celebrated in St Catherine and St James Church of Ireland Dublin. The Reverend Dr Jacob Thomas conducted the service, during which the Very Reverend Dermot Dunne, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, declared the inauguration of the CSI Malayalam Congregation in Dublin, “The CSI Holy Trinity Congregation, Dublin”. Read more: [http://www.indianchristiansunited.org/church/ireland/dublin/holy-trinity-csi-malayalam-congregation]