423 DUNHAMS CORNER ROAD

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ 08816

Vicar | Rev. Arun Samuel Varghese

Volume XXV | No. 04

www.ststephensmtc.org

2024

APRIL

ST. STEPHEN’S

MAR THOMA CHURCH

Executive Committee 2024

President

Rev. Arun Varghese

asv001@gmail.com

Vice President Mr. Sunil Kurien (732) 546-1468

Secretary

Mrs. Bibina Varughese

secretary@ststephensmtc.com

(848) 248-5863

Treasurer

Mr. Manoj Joseph (585) 747-1839

Accountant

Dr. Raji Varghese (732) 387-6128

Lay leader

Mr. Mathew Samuel (973) 652-5679

Lay leader

Mr. Jonah Tholoor Varughese (631) 312-6510

Choir

Mr.Thomas George (848) 214-0930

Sunday School

Ms. Sneha Manoj Mathew (848) 203-6951

Youth Fellowship

Mrs. Liju Kurien (908) 670-8535

Sevika Sangham

Mrs. Ginu Kurian (848) 248-3066

Edavaka Mission

Mr. Mathew Thomas Memana (908) 247-2960

Young Family Fellowship

Mrs. Pushpa Abraham (434) 284-0267

Yuvajana Sakhyam

Mr. Jinu Varghese (508) 310-3777

Senior Fellowship

Mr. John Thomas (Soman) (908) 295-7606

Prayer Group 1

Mr. Manoj Mathew (848) 219-3724

Prayer Group 2

Mr. Joseph V Abraham (732) 331-4076

Prayer Group 3

Mr. Abey George Philip (609) 815-5804

Prayer Group 4

Mr. Varughese Abraham (908) 705-7270

Mandalam

Mr. Shibu Varghese (201) 675-9280

Assembly

Mr. Earlin George (732) 207-1330

Assembly Mrs. Mini Cheriyan (732) 579-7558

Other Contacts

Sunday School

Mrs. Rachel Thomas (908) 392-5754

Youth Fellowship

Ms. Christina Isaac (609) 455-9674

Auditor

Mr. Shibu Varghese (Anil) (732) 371-1144

Auditor

Mr. Roy Varghese (848) 213-6309

(714) 975-0239

Achen's Message!

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy

nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the

praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His

wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Dearly Beloved in Christ,

Greetings to all of you in the name of our Risen Lord!

Grace and peace be with you all as we enter into the month of

April.

With the close of last month, we completed yet another Lenten season and

joined together on Resurrection Sunday to joyfully observe Easter. That ﬁrst

Easter morning, His tomb was found empty, yet it was ﬁlled with hope! God ﬁlled

the earth with hope so real, joy so pure, and love so true that our hearts are still

able to rejoice today. As April takes us forward in the Easter season, a time that

is to be an experience of great rejoicing in the hope and salvation that Easter

brings and renewal in our faith journey, I encourage and invite you to reﬂect on

the signiﬁcance of Christ’s resurrection in your life and continue to grow in faith

and discipleship. I pray that all of us may carry the hope and joy of Easter with us

as we journey forward, living as Easter people whose lives proclaim the victory of

life over death, light over darkness, and reﬂect the transformative power of the

risen Lord every day of our lives.

And in this time of great rejoicing, this season of renewal and hope, our Parish

Silver Jubilee Celebration is fast approaching, and I hope all of us are very much

looking forward to joining together in worship and praise on April 27th to

commemorate our 25 years of faith, service, and fellowship as a parish.

Our Silver Jubilee theme verse, given above, reminds and joyfully arms the

richness of our identity as believers, as those redeemed in Christ. When

reﬂecting on this verse, we are reminded of the following regarding our unique

and privileged position as the children of God, those reconciled to God by the

resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

We have been chosen by God, set apart for His purposes, and called to live lives

that reﬂect His glory and proclaim His praises to the world around us.

As a royal priesthood, we have the privilege of coming before God in worship

and intercession, lifting up prayers on behalf of others and ministering to those in

need.

As members of God's holy nation, we are called to live lives of holiness and

righteousness, shining the light of Christ in a dark world.

In light of this identity, let us in this 25th year as a parish all the more embrace

our role as ambassadors of Christ in our community and recommit ourselves to

be a living testimony of the transformative power of the Gospel, seeking to bring

glory to God in all that we do and sharing the hope and love of Jesus with those

around us.

As we prepare and look ahead for our Parish Silver Jubilee Celebration, let us do

so with hearts full of gratitude for reaching this signiﬁcant milestone in the life of

our parish. This milestone is a testament to the faithfulness of God in our journey

thus far as well as the dedicated, prayerful eorts of our dear members, which

have contributed to the life and growth of our church family over the past 25

years. I invite each and every one of you to join in celebrating this special

occasion – may it be a wonderful time of uniting and reuniting, of homecoming

to celebrate with gratitude and joy; to celebrate our identity and journey in

Christ; and to declare the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into

His wonderful light. Let us come together to give thanks for the blessings of the

past and look forward with faith and hope to the future.

As we embark on the journey through this month of April, may we be guided by

the love, grace, and peace of our risen Lord, empowering us to live out our

identity as beloved children of God, called to live lives of faith, hope, and love, to

proclaim His praises and share His light with the world.

With love and prayers,

Rev. Arun Samuel Varghese

ANNOUNCEMENTS!

April Silver Jubilee Chain Prayer

Will be held every Friday, in April: 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th from 8 am to 8

pm. Please sign up via Google Doc link, for any 30 minute prayer time

slots, Bible Reading, Song, Intercessory Prayer. Encouraging everyone to

join via Zoom for the closing session at 8pm.

First Holy Communion

Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Mar Paulos Thirumeni will be visiting our Parish on

April 27th and 28th. Thirumeni will conduct Holy Qurbana service. Please

keep in prayers our children who will receive their First Communion from

Thirumeni on Sunday April 28th. Encouraging everyone to prayerfully

attend.

Sevika Sangham

April Prayer Call will be held every Wednesday: April 3th, 10th, 17th and

24th. Please dial by 9pm using phone number (716) 427-1395 and Access

Code: 289872#.

Sevika Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 11th at 10 am and

Wednesday, April 24th at 10 am at Church.

Youth Fellowship Meeting

We will have Youth Fellowship Meeting on Friday, April 12th at 7 pm at

Church.

Young Family Fellowship

Cottage Prayer Meeting on Saturday, April 13th 11 am

At the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Sunil Kurien

Address:18 Albermarle Dr. Marlboro, NJ

Speaker: Lay Chaplin Mr. Tom Philip

Prayer Group 2 Prayer Meeting

Saturday, April 13th at 430 pm

Address: St. Stephen’s MTC 423 Dunham Corner Road

This is an open invitation for everyone to join Area 2 for Prayer and a

Movie night. RSVP to Secretary Bibina or to your Area Representative is

greatly appreciated.

Senior Citizen’s Fellowship & Edavaka Mission Combined Meeting

There will a Combined Meeting of Senior Citizen’s Fellowship and

Edavaka Mission on Saturday, April 20th at 10 am at Church. All are

welcome to join for a time of prayer, fellowship, and Geriatrics Seminar

led by our members Drs. Praveen & Sairah. Please RSVP by April 15th to

Mr. John Thomas (Soman) or Mr. Mathew Thomas Memana.

Fellowship Lunch

Currently our lunch funds are in a deﬁcit status. If you would like to

sponsor lunch, please do so, using google sign-up form or in person.

Your generosity is appreciated. Click Here!

Condolences

Our parish member Mrs. Rene Rachel Verghese (26 Blue Heron Way,

Skillman, NJ), beloved wife of Mr. George Thomas (Aby) and mother of

Nikhil and Neha, went to be with the Lord on March 5th, 2024, in New

Jersey.

During these dicult times, let us remember Aby, children Nikhil Thomas

and Neha Thomas, and extended families in our family prayers. May our

Lord Almighty give them comfort, strength and everlasting peace.

We the St. Stephen's family oer our deepest condolences and prayers

to the bereaved family members.

Time

Celebrant

1st

Lesson

2nd

Lesson

Epistle

Gospel

Apr

Sunday after Easter – Jesus Christ the Lord and God

10:15

Rev. Arun Samuel

Varghese

Gen

32:22-32

Acts

9:1-18

Col

3:12-17

John

20:24-29

Malayalam

Apr

Sunday after Easter – Jesus Christ who restores

10:15

Rev. Arun Samuel

Varghese

Hos

14:1-9

Heb

6:9-12

Gal

6:1-5

John

21:1-14

Malayalam

Apr

Sunday after Easter – The Resurrected Christ who encourages the

dispirited

10:15

Rev. Arun Samuel

Varghese

Isa

41:8-20

Acts

27:27-37

2 Cor

4:7-15

Luke

24:13-35

English

Apr

Sunday after Easter – Marriage: Call and Commission

10:15

Rt. Rev. Dr.

Abraham Mar

Paulos

Gen

2:18-25

Eph

5:21-33

1 Cor

13:1-13

Matt

19:1-12

English

We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to you and your family to

join in the celebration of our Silver Jubilee as the St. Stephen’s Mar Tho-

ma Church. This celebration is an opportunity for us to come together

and express our gratitude for the countless blessings we have received

in this faith journey. It's a chance to cherish the bonds we share and to

create new memories that will strengthen us even further.

God-willing, the Silver Jubilee celebration will take place on Saturday,

April 27th at 4 PM at our church located at 423 Dunhams Corner Road,

East Brunswick, New Jersey. We request your prayers and valuable

presence for this special occasion.

We look forward to celebrating with you and your family as we continue

creating memories together. Your presence will truly make this event

special, as we reﬂect on the journey of the past 25 years and look for-

ward to the future with renewed faith and commitment.

Saturday, April 27th at 4 PM

Silver Jubileİ

CelİbraņiĪn

Birthdays

1 Sittu Mathew W/o Saji M. Mathew (732) 310-6737

1 Josh A. Cherian S/o Sabu Cherian (908) 927-9940

1 Vienna Ann Zachariah D/o Vino Zachariah (732) 369-3550

2 Bibina T. Varughese (732) 422-7128

2 Rachel Thomas Oommen W/o Thomas Oommen (732) 906-8830

2 Sahnila Varughese W/o Philip Varughese (908) 380-0599

3 Julie Dilip Abraham W/o Dilip S. Abraham (732) 647-5362

3 Ann Mary Sajan D/o Sajan Podikunju (732) 662-5542

4 Paul Jacob S/o Jacob Mathews (732) 666-4827

4 Mathew Skylar John S/o John M. Mathew (908) 907-4921

5 Dr. Sairah P. Johnson W/o Dr. Praveen Walaliyadda (609) 414-0544

6 Abraham Mathew S/o Anil Mathew (732) 552-8053

7 Ashly Sam Mathew S/o Mathew Samuel (973) 652-6809

7 Raji Renjith W/o Renjith Abraham (908) 456-4049

8 Maya Anna Varkey D/o Thomas Varkey (908) 301-0084

10 Anya Noelle Chacko D/o Nithin Chacko (908) 265-9487

10 Sanjana Ann Renjith D/o Renjith Abraham (908) 456-4049

10 Vinoj Mathew (732) 910-5689

11 Aleyamma Manalel W/o Sam Jacob (732) 549-8925

12 Alan Sajan Chacko S/o Sajan P. Chacko (908) 687-1529

12 Koshy Philip (732) 286-0924

12 Sam Kurian Thomas (631) 568-6524

14 Stanley Koshy (732) 257-1057

16 Rachel Ragy Thomas D/o Ragy Thomas (732) 632-8892

17 Ashley Maret W/o George Chacko (908) 202-3249

17 Leelamma Ipe W/o Ipe Varghese (845) 825-7088

17 Miriam M. Thomas D/o Philip M. Thomas (732) 382-0033

18 Abigail Vinoj Mathew D/o Vinoj Mathew (732) 902-9432

18 Philip M. Thomas (732) 382-0033

18 Abraham S. Pulimoottil (732) 283-4855

18 Tharun George Babu (732) 416-8791

19 Mariamma Thomas W/o Mammen T. Thomas (732) 422-0701

20 Paul Sunil Skariah S/o Rachel Skariah (908) 822-2737

20 Mallika Mathew Verghe- D/o Mathew Verghese (732) 395-0857

20 Christine Mulamoottil D/o Ajoy M. Varghese (551) 358-0260

21 Daisy Mathew W/o Mathew Samuel (973) 652-5493

21 John Joseph (732) 887-6398

21 Reena Thomas W/o Dr. Samuel Thomas (973) 538-1192

22 Reeba Mary Thomas (908) 375-3329

22 Joel Oommen S/o Oommen George (732) 387-0821

23 Bindu Sajan W/o Sajan Podikunju (732) 662-5542

23 Jason Jacob Sam S/o Jacob Sam (732) 980-9154

23 Joseph George (732) 857-5559

24 Estha Achu John D/o K.J. John (908) 587-4243

25 Roy Varghese (848) 213-6309

28 Mathew Palat (732) 952-2331

29 Liju Kurien W/o Sunil Kurien (732) 677-2507

29 Sherry Sara Mathew W/o Ben Samuel (862) 596-4932

30 Ajith Mathews S/o Mathews Philip (732) 297-8303

30 Nithin Chacko (908) 265-9487

Wedding Anniversaries

6 Mr. Mathews A. Cherukara & Mrs. Saramma Cherukara (908) 721-6619

6 Mr. Nithin Chacko & Mrs. Akila De Alwis (908) 265-9487

18 Mr. Samuel Oommen & Mrs. Susamma Samuel (908) 320-0412

18 Mr. Sunil S. Varughese & Mrs. Serah Thomas (609) 275-9334

19 Mr. Jacob Samuel & Mrs. Niju T. Samuel (732) 561-2359

23 Mr. Saju C. Abraham & Mrs. Sheeja S. Abraham (732) 605-9888

23 Mr. Binny Thomas K. & Mrs. Mareen Mathew (201) 706-0173

23 Mr. Blessen V. Joseph & Mrs. Shannon Joseph (610) 438-1688

24 Mr. Reji John & Mrs. Suman Reji John (732) 613-0623

27 Dr. Emil Mathew Joseph & Dr. Ritty Elizabeth Abraham (732) 402-7106

Mr. Abraham Thomas Mattappallil & Mrs. Susan Thom-

(908) 241-0638

29 Mr. Koshy Philip & Mrs. Jooly Koshy (732) 286-0924