History of the Syriac Church

v      The Syriac Orthodox Church was established in the period, where Antioch was one of the three greatest capitals of Roman Empire. This was about the time when apostles scattered from Jerusalem.  

v      At that time Antioch was one of the leading centers of Hellenistic culture.  Antioch kept its capital state during Christianity period, becoming a managing center of Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate and their religion center.  Syrian church, the true church of the east, uniting faith, belief, and liturgy with religious culture has gained the honor and success of carrying the living Gospel of the Lord to the people living on the lands extending from the Middle East to the Far East.  

v      Being the leading church of Christian faith amongst pagan, at the same time it is the first Christian Church gathering peoples out of different ethnic roots, under her roof.  

v      One of the twelve disciples Mor Peter came to Antioch at 37 AD and staying there holding regular meetings for the assembly at the city, there he established "Apostolic Seat of Antioch" which was one of the main three seats of the Christian World between the years 37-43 AD.  

v      Therefore church of Antioch is the first established church after Jerusalem Church, which is called the "Mother Church".  

v      Looking to its quality and structure the church of Antioch is the first "Mother Church" in regard of uniting the originally Syrian Christians and those of Jew background, and in regard to administration, which became the center of Eastern Christianity.

v      It is the first Church, which was established in Jerusalem out of the Apostles, Preachers and other converted Jews, and was grafted in Antioch by those who were converted from among the Arameans and other gentile elements.

v      Historians declare that the survival of this Church was nothing short of a miracle. It suffered untold hardships and tragedies including massacres and repeated transfer of the See of the Patriarchate from one locality to another due to political and other developments.

v      It produced a line of succession beginning with Apostle Peter, which continues to this day in the Syriac Orthodox Church.  The line of 121 Patriarchs spans twenty centuries, from St. Peter the Apostle to Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I, the present Patriarch of Antioch and all the East.  

v      The Church of Antioch played a significant role in the early history of Christianity. It played a prominent role in the first three Synods held at Nicea (325), Constantinople (381), and Ephesus (431), shaping the formulation and early interpretation of Christian doctrines.

19^th and 20^th Centuries

In the late 19th and early 20^th centuries, Syrian orthodox families immigrated to the US and many also settled in Quebec, Canada. As of 1995 there are 2 dioceses in the USA, one in the Eastern U.S. and another in the Western   U. S, and one in Canada.  The Syrian Orthodox People are very active. They try to preserve their heritage. They learn Syriac and pray in Syriac and English.  In New Jersey they run a Syriac program at Fairly Dickinson University.  The Archdiocese center in the Western U.S. is in Burbank, California, and it embraces 8 churches: 5 in southern California (Burbank, San Fernando, Orange County, San Diego, and High desert), two in Northern California (San Jose and Chico), and one in Oregon (Portland).  A church has also been started in Houston, Texas, Arizona, and recently in Colorado.  Archbishop Mor Clemis Eugene Kaplan is the Patriarchal Vicar.