History

The Mar Gregorios Orthodox Church Student Movement started out as the Syrian Student Conference in 1907. The Church leaders felt that students needed a way to deepen their spirituality and loyalty to the Orthodox faith, therefore various groups were established on college campuses all over India. Saint Gregorios of Parumala was selected as the patron saint for the group, and the name was officially changed to MGOCSM in 1960.

The motto of MGOCSM is Worship, Study and Service.

Our MGOCSM

The MGOCSM of St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Houston is a group of high school and college age students who come together in Christian fellowship to grow closer to Christ and the Orthodox faith.The students partake in weekly Sunday meetings after the service. Our weekly meetings involve praise and worship, Bible studies, activities and discussions

We participate in various community service projects and fellowship activities with our sister churches in the Houston area: St. Stephen's Orthodox Church, St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, and St. Mary’s Orthodox Church. These events include, but aren’t limited to, Back to School Retreat, Lenten Retreat, Thanksgiving Potluck, and volunteering at local events.

Our MGOCSM organizes a yearly retreat, held around the beginning of the New Year, which has become a major event in the American Diocese. Hundreds of youth from across the country come to our church to participate in a multi-day event that nourishes them spiritually, preparing them for the upcoming year.

We are happy to say that we currently have three members of our MGOCSM that have decided to dedicate their lives to the Church – Fr. Binu Mathew, Fr. Christopher Mathews, and Fr. Jacob Kurian..

Our mission is to learn more about the God we serve and to bring Him into our daily lives. We were baptized as infants into the Orthodox Church, but we can't rest on this childhood faith alone if we are to survive as Christians in this world. We must learn to relate to our Lord as young adults and continue to grow in knowledge of Him. This demands a mature understanding of Christian principles, with a lot of prayer, study and fellowship -- and MGOCSM gives us the chance to grow together.

Participating in the Holy Qurbana is how we worship our Creator on Sundays. Participating in MGOCSM is how we learn to worship Him with the rest of our lives.