Clergy

Vicar

Rev. Fr. Abraham (Abey) George currently serves as the Vicar of St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church, Long Island. He served the parish as the Assistant Vicar for six years before being assigned as the vicar of the parish in February of 2021. He graduated with a Master of Divinity from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA. He also serves as the Principal Secretary to the Diocesan Metropolitan, His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, and as the director of FOCUS ministry of the diocese. He also serves as a Hospital Chaplain for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, New York Harbor Healthcare System.


VRevYohannanSankrathil

1st Vicar of the Parish
Very Rev. Dr. Yohannan Sankarathil Cor-Episcopa

The Very Rev. Dr. Yohannan Sankarathil Cor-Episcopa was the vicar of St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church, Levittown, Long Island, and had been since its inception in 1986.  He came to the United States in September of 1970 for higher theological studies at Union Theological Seminary, from where he graduated.  He also earned five Master’s degrees (Malayalam & Sanskrit, Counseling Psychology, Rehab Counseling, Recreation Therapy, Theology) and a Doctorate in Theology.  HH Baselious Augen I, Catholicos of the East, appointed him to organize parishes for the Malankara Orthodox Church in the United States on August 2nd, 1971.  He was the first Vicar of the Malankara Orthodox Church in the United States. Rev. Fr. Yohannan has been instrumental in establishing various parishes in the early days of the Malankara Orthodox Church in the U.S and Canada.  He is also a member of the “Sankarathil” family, a priestly family with ancient ties to the first Christians in Kerala.  Rev. Fr. Yohannan also worked for 25 years for the NY State Mental Health system.
Rev. Fr. Yohannan fell asleep in the Lord on Saturday, March 20th, 2021. His mortal remains are buried at his home parish in St. Mary’s Orthodox Valiya Cathedral Church, Kumbazha, Kerala, India.


Clergy from the Parish

Rev. Fr. Sujit Thomas is currently serving as the assistant vicar of St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church (Unruh), Philadelphia. His formative years were spent as a member of St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church, Levittown. Very Rev. Dr. Yohannan Sankarathil Cor-Episcopa brought Sujit Achen into the altar as an acolyte. His parents and brother are members of the parish.


Rev. Dn. Abraham (Shojil) Abraham was born and raised in Long Island, NY, and grew up as a member of St. Thomas Orthodox Church of Long Island. He completed his undergraduate studies in Accounting at SUNY College at Old Westbury, NY, and MBA in Finance at Stony Brook University, NY. Afterward, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA, an Orthodox Christian Seminary under the Orthodox Church in America, and graduated in May 2021. Deacon Abraham was ordained to the Holy Sub-Diaconate on March 20th, 2021, by Metropolitan His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos. He currently serves as the General Secretary of the Northeast Diocese MGOCSM and Assistant Spiritual Advisor for the MGOCSM of the Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island areas. In addition to serving the diocese, he serves as a Chaplain Resident at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, NY Harbor, where he is enrolled in the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Residency Program.