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I love our

church

have such an opportunity while my kids are at an E ven if the mass takes a
impressionable young age. In the short time that bit too long, I still really
we had our church, they have become so love it. I have been to
entrenched in the regular offerings of spiritual, this church for almost all my life. It
cultural, traditional and social values that only a would feel so different if we moved
church can provide. They consider this church anywhere else. I am very well used to
their prized possession. It has come to the point it by now and I hope it wouldn't
that I cannot even bribe them to go anywhere change at all because it is a part of my
other than our Knanaya Church, even my five life that I grew up with. I love the
year old. The benefits we as a family have agape store and that aunties that work
received are priceless. They are even more excit- there. They are very nice. I mostly
ed about the prospects of having regular English know everyone in our
mass that they can better understand and partic- church and I am always Maria Kizhakkanady
ipate. very happy to see them. I
I can empathize with those who claim “fear” love the fact that a lot of the
as the reason for not coming to the Knanaya people there already know
Church. After all, fear is purely subjective and when I go to the kitchen to
an element of our perception. However, for this get more creamer and sugar
fear to be genuine, one would expect this phobia for my coffee because I
to be exhibited in different walks of their lives at always need a bit more. I
least for a period of some time or until they also love the fact that I
overcome this fear. So quite naturally one would know almost everywhere to
expect these folks to show the same restraint, 1) hide in our church. It is
when their spouse or children go to work in an very amazing, though I
establishment that is in an “unsafe” neighbor- have to say that I liked the
hood, or 2) they would have great reluctance and colors that was there before
reservation to pay premium price to acquire a the white, gold, and tan
retail business in the worst part of town or 3) paint. It was more colorful
spend countless hours partying at a nearby sim- and more, I don't know,
ilar “unsafe” neighborhood church while their real? But either way, I love
children are roaming around outside without any my church and I feel like
supervision in the dark of night. there would be a part of my
In his first inaugural address in 1933, life missing if I had never
President Franklin D. Roosevelt said the follow- went to this church.
ing: “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself
nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which
paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into
advance.”
So, I urge the entire Knanaya community to
first of all think about and feel proud of our
humble beginning and help build this into an
empire that we can all be proud of. Our dream
should be to be able to move into that bigger and
better place in a “safer” neighborhood with pride
as soon as we can. Let's not retreat in the face of
adversity. We must realize that we are all fight-
ing the same war but with two different war
plans. Faith formation via children ministry at Sacred Heart Church, Maywood.

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