On Saturday, Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church, Raphael Thattil will consecrate St Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Cathedral.

A host of bishops, senior clerics, members of state and federal parliament and representatives from Catholic parishes across Victoria are expected to attend the Sacrament of the Cathedral Church and celebratory Holy Mass.

The consecration of the cathedral is the culmination of years of prayer, sacrifice, fellowship and work by around 550 families seeking to have a church of their own.

On December 23, 2013, Pope Francis announced the Diocese of Melbourne St. Thomas Syro-Malabar as the second diocese of Syro-Malabar outside India.

The foundation stone for the cathedral was laid on July 3, 2020, by Abhiwandya Bosco Puthur, the first archbishop of the Melbourne Syro-Malabar Diocese.

The cathedral has been completed on a three-acre site owned by the cathedral parish at 53 McKellar Way, near the Hume Freeway in Epping.

The diocesan website describes the cathedral was “built in a very beautiful manner with oriental tradition on 1711 square metres”.

The cathedral will accommodate up to 1000 people and includes a balcony and a room for parents with babies.

A chapel can accommodate about 100 people.

Classrooms for faith training and related facilities have been built adjacent to the church.

The parish hall has a seating capacity of around 500 people, a stage and a kitchen with modern facilities, which were completed and inaugurated in November 2022.

Lumen Builders, a leading construction group in Australia, was entrusted with the construction of the cathedral.

“We would like to thank everyone who prayed, worked and financially supported the realisation of the dream of the Melbourne Syro-Malabar Diocese,” Melbourne Syro-Malabar Bishop John Panamthottamtil said.

The event is due to start at 9am AEDT on November 23 and will be livestreamed.

(Photo of Bishop John by Giovanni Portelli/Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Information sourced from diocese website.)