Vicar
Fr. Abey George (Abraham) is a native of New York. After completing his High School education at the Staten Island Technical High School (2002), he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sci.) in Physics from the College of Staten Island, City University of New York (2006). He underwent seminary formation at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, receiving a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree (2009). He also completed the Liturgical Praxis Training Program at Orthodox Theological Seminary (Old Seminary) in Kottayam (2012). He furthered his studies at Fordham University, Bronx, NY, with a Master of Arts degree (M.A) in Christian Spirituality (2017) and completed a Doctor of Ministry degree from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Scarsdale, NY (2024).
Fr. Abraham was ordained to the Sub-Diaconate on April 18, 2009, by the Late Lamented His Grace Mathews Mar Barnabas, Metropolitan of the American Diocese. He was ordained to the Full-Diaconate on April 12, 2014, and was followed to the Priesthood on April 11, 2015, by His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, Metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese.
Fr. Abraham has been serving as the Assistant Vicar of St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church, Long Island, NY, since May 2015 and was appointed Vicar of the parish in May 2021. He also works for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a Board-Certified Hospital Chaplain at Brooklyn Campus, NY, and as the Principal Secretary to His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, the Diocesan Metropolitan.
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.
Deacon Abraham, was born and raised in Long Island, NY. He completed his undergraduate studies in Accounting at SUNY College at Old Westbury (2017) and graduate studies, MBA in Finance at Stony Brook University (2018). He graduated from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA, with a Master of Divinity in May 2021 with the thesis: “Intrusive Thoughts According to Saint Silouan the Athonite: An Orthodox Christian Approach to the Healing of the Mind,” which was completed under the guidance of Christopher Veniamin, D.Phil., Oxford University, who is a disciple of St.
Sophrony of Essex. Deacon Abraham was ordained to the Holy Sub-Diaconate on March 20, 2021, by Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos.
Post seminary, he underwent training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at NYU Langone Health, NY and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, NY, where he completed a year long Chaplaincy Residency in January 2023. While at the VA, he provided counseling along with spiritual and emotional support to patients undergoing substance abuse rehab who were struggling with alcohol, drug addictions, and various mental health illnesses. He was appointed Youth Minister for MGOCSM Campus Ministry in January 2023 and served until May 2024. He currently serves as the General Secretary of MGOCSM Youth Ministry of our diocese since January 2022.