St James Syrian Orthodox Church

7 Conklintown Rd, Wanaque, NJ 07465 USA

St. James, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ and first Archbishop of Jerusalem

St. James was born to the first wife of St. Joseph who was betrothed to St. Mary. He is considered as the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. James and his other brothers were not the direct disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. The scriptures record that he saw Jesus between the Resurrection and Ascension (I Corinthians 15:7). According to Eusebius, St. James was appointed bishop of Jerusalem by the apostles: "James, the brother of the Lord, to whom the episcopal seat at Jerusalem had been entrusted by the apostles". He administered the church in Jerusalem for thirty years. He is also referred to as James the Just.

St. James, the Archbishop of Jerusalem, has been revered as a saint right from the beginning. He prayed so hard on his knees for many hours at a stretch so much so that his knees became like that of a camel. He had a totally disciplined prayer life. The liturgy of St. James was the first order of Liturgy which served as the model for all other liturgies. The Jewish spiritual leaders turned against St. James and demanded that he renounce his faith. When refused to renounce his beliefs, he was thrown off the top of the Church. The Saint did not die and he prayed for the people who tried to kill him. He was badly beaten by the Jews and was martyred in 62 or 69 AD.

The one and only Church, consecrated in the name of St. James by the Archbishop of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in North America, is located at 7 Conkintown Road, Wanaque, New Jersey 07465. It is considered one of the strongest pillars of the Archdiocese.

By Rev. Fr. Akash C. Paul