For where two or three gathered in my name, I am there among them

St. Mary's Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church in Adelaide, South Australia is a community of Jacobite Christians from the Indian state of Kerala, who belong to the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church. Our church is a member of the Oriental Orthodox Church family and part of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, established by St. Peter, one of the apostles of Christianity.

The journey of St. Mary's family began with a group of Jacobite Syrian Christian faithful migrants from Kerala to Adelaide. The first Holy Eucharist was celebrated on November 7th, 2007, by H.G. Mor Irenious Paulose at St. Mary & Anba Bishoy Coptic Orthodox Church, Cowandilla.

Since then, our community has grown stronger in faith and spirituality, shining by the grace of God and the intercession of our patron saint, St. Mary. In May 2019, we acquired a new church building in Morphett Vale, and after three years of renovation, the church was consecrated on October 29th, 2022, by His Eminence Mor Athanasios Geevarghese Metropolitan.

Our liturgy is primarily conducted in Malayalam and includes English and Syriac.

Our church's main altar is dedicated to St. Mary, the North Altar to St. George, and the South Altar to St. Gregorios of Parumala.

At St. Mary's Adelaide Church, we strive to build a foundation in the community to inspire and empower the next generation.

Our vision for St. Mary Adelaide church is that, with God's grace, it becomes a catalyst for the spiritual growth of our youth and families, fostering deeper connections with God and with each other. Additionally, we hope to develop our God-given potential to make positive contributions to the growth of Australia.

The Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, an Orthodox church in Malankara (Kerala, India) is an integral part of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church with the Patriarch of Antioch, His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II as its supreme head. The local head of the church in Malankara is the Catholicose of the east, His Beatitude Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I, ordained by and accountable to the Patriarch of Antioch.

The Syriac Orthodox Church dates back to the very dawn of Christianity. In Syriac, the proper name of the Church is 'idto suryoyto treeysath shubho. In the past, the name of the Church had been translated to English as "Syrian Orthodox Church". The Holy Synod of the Church approved the translation "Syriac Orthodox Church" for use in English speaking countries in its session of March 28-April 3, 2000. The Church justifiably prides itself as being one of the earliest established Apostolic Churches. It was in Antioch, that the followers of Jesus were called Christians (Acts 11:26)

Jacobite Syrian Church (Syrian Orthodox Church) of India, Iraq, and Syria, recognising the Syrian Orthodox patriarch of Antioch as its spiritual head. The foundation of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch goes back to early Apostolic days. This event in the history of Christianity is recorded in the Book of Acts 11:26. Apostle Peter Himself established his See 37 AD. He is, therefore, rightly considered the founder and first Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church.

The Syrian orthodox church in India functions as an integral part of the universal Syrian orthodox church. So, it is necessary to deal briefly about this universal church at first. When we study the pre-eminence of Antioch, which has been rightly acknowledged as the capital of Syrian Church, we will know the crucial position accorded to the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church in the history of Christianity. Though the Christian Church was first established in Jerusalem, due to severe persecutions, those who gave leadership to the church were forced to leave the place they adopted as a place of refuge, but it turned out to be a fertile ground for the propagation of Gospel. Soon Antioch become the capital of the whole Christendom. The name Christian for believers was first pronounced at Antioch and that is an ample reason to establish the importance of Antioch (Act.11:26).St. Paul the greatest proponent of Gospel had adopted Antioch as the centre of his missionary activities. St. Paul along with Barnabas used Antioch as a centre to spread the Gospel and established Churches at various places.

The Syrian Orthodox Church [earlier called The Church of Antioch] was established by St. Peter, the chief of the Apostles and the first patriarch in AD 37 at Antioch (now Antakya in Turkey) [see Acts.11:26,14:26]. The church suffered all kinds of tortures and hardships from all quarter’s right from its establishment, but its flag still soars high. The spiritual care of the Church of Antioch was vested in the Bishop of Antioch from the earliest years of Christianity. The first among the Bishops of Antioch was St. Peter who is believed to have established a church at Antioch in AD 33. Today the church is spread around the globe, spanning 22 countries headed by the Patriarch residing at Damascus in Syria.

Jacob Baradaeus (died July 30, 578) was Bishop of Edessa from 543 until his death. One of the most important figures in the history of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and the Oriental Orthodox churches generally, he was a defender of the Monophysite movement in a time when its strength was declining. His instrumental efforts in reorganizing and revitalizing the community gave it its alternate name, the Jacobites. 

The Jacobite Syrian Church is part of the Syrian Orthodox Church, located in Kerala, India. It recognises the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, currently H.H. Ignatius Aphrem II since 2014, as its supreme head. It functions as a largely autonomous archdiocese within the church, under the authority of the Catholicos of India, currently, Baselios Thomas I. Its members are part of the St. Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. 

As part of the Syrian Orthodox communion, the church uses the West Syrian liturgy and is part of the Oriental Orthodox group of churches