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about St. Thomas Orthodox Valiyapally, Los Angeles

St. Thomas Orthodox Valiyapally was established as a congregation in 1975 under the guidance of H.G. Thomas Mar Makarios and officially consecrated in 1978. The parish has been faithfully serving the Los Angeles community for the past 50 years, and has been dedicated to meeting the spiritual needs of the faithful while supporting the broader community. St. Thomas Orthodox Valiyapally has flourished with the development of vibrant Men's and Women's ministries, a robust Sunday School curriculum for children, and active outreach programs. The parish also partners with local organizations like Mary's Kitchen, which focuses on providing essential support for the food welfare of families in the locality that are in need of help, while embodying a commitment to faith, education, and service for their parishioners and broader community.

Interested in learning more? Visit the St. Thomas Orthodox Valiyapally Website

about the vicar

Rev. fr. SAMUEL (Saju) VARGHESE

Fr. Samuel (Samuel Achen) is the vicar of St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church in Los Angeles, California. Achen was ordained to the priesthood in 2018, and has served across various diocesan ministries. Fr. Samuel served as the Youth Minister of the Midwest region from 2011 - 2018, and remains involved with Sunday School and the Liturgical Resource Development ministries. He has been leading and assisting with Orthodox missions for years, serving both internationally and domestically, including the MGOCSM international missions in Pune (2010), Bolivia (2018), and the domestic mission trips in Spokane (2022 & 2024).

Fr. Samuel earned his B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) from the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam, India, and an M.F.T. (Master of Family Therapy) from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology (2016).

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