Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Student Movement

MGOCSM Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Student Movement
Location
India, Worldwide
Information
Motto	Worship, Study, Service.
Religious affiliation(s)	Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox
Denomination	Indian Orthodox, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
Patron saint(s)	St. Gregorios
Established	1908
Founders	Students of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian CHurch
Color(s)	Red, Grey, White, and Black
Malankara Metropolitan	H H Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II
President of MGOCSM	H G Dr. Geevarghese Mar Coorilos
Website	MGOCSM INDIA

Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Student Movement (MGOCSM) is the oldest Christian Student Organization in Asia. It is the student wing of the Indian Orthodox Church, officially known as the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church with headquarters at Devalokam, Kottayam, Kerala, India.

The Movement has three main objectives:

The students and senior leaders of the Church who were residing in Madras in the early part of the last century felt the need for an organization to bring together Christian students in various colleges and high schools with a view to deepening their spiritual life and to create in them a lively sense of fellowship. The Syrian Student Conference, the parent organization was formed in 1907 and the first conference was convened on 1–3 January 1908 at Balikamadom School, Tiruvalla, Kerala. Annual Conferences have been a regular feature since 1908. From 1912 to 1960 it was called St Thomas Syrian Students Movement. The Movement assumed the present name MGOCSM in 1960, with its motto is Worship, Study, Service, after its merger with MGSSA (Mar Gregorios Syrian Students' Association), then the students wing of Jacobite Church. And in 1972 it had a split forming SOSMI (Syrian Orthodox Students Movement of India), the Student wing of Jacobite Church which was later renamed as JASSMI (Jacobite Syrian Students Movement of India) in 2002 and then as Mor Gregorios Jacobite Students' Movement (MGJSM) in 2009.

The strength of the Movement is the wide network of its units centered in educational institutions and major parishes spread all over India and outside. MGOCSM has been maintaining inter-disciplinary contacts in the academic field for a long time by the formation of its wings. They include the High School, Higher Secondary, College students’ wings, University, Higher Secondary, High School teachers’ associations, Medical Auxiliary, Technical Auxiliary, Missionary Forum, Literary Forum, and the Publication wing.

Student Centres at Kottayam, Thiruvananthapurum, Kothamangalam, Alwaye and Davengere stand as fitting monuments to the continuous and tireless efforts of the Movement during the past years. Each Student Centre provides hostel facilities in addition to a chapel, an auditorium, a reading room and guest rooms. Mar Theophilus Study Centre in Kottayam is used for conducting seminars, study classes and the like. Our dream of establishing other student centres is also coming to life in Pampady, Iritty, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolar. MGOCSM Bookshop and Publishing House at Kottayam continue to function purposefully. The Orthodox Study Bible, Total Education for 100 students, Financial assistance and scholarship to students of low income group, outside Kerala student chaplain services and CHAIROS - Centenary building complex are major projects of the Centenary 2008. The Movement has appointed priests in major educational centres to carry on the student mission. A Diaspora secretariat has also opened with its office at Nagpur to co-ordinate the youngsters born and brought up outside Kerala.

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