Where is The Shepherd? - Concerns of an indignant youth

They say, “Youth is a blessing wasted upon the young.”  Not so in the Knanaya Community.  Look at what Sajan Kuzhiparambil,  Director of New York Knanaya Yuvajanavedi has got to say about what is happening in the community today.  He is showing more maturity than those who are in high places.

Perhaps in our case, the above saying should be changed to read, “Authority is a blessing wasted upon the worthless”

Administrator

I am writing this letter with great pain and disappointment.  Where are the community leaders of New York? Buying non endogamous churches creates  confusion among members, and it divides our community into two groups. We need a clear answer—who are the members of the Knanaya Catholic church? I can assure you, 100% of Knanites want to follow our great culture and want to continue the practice of our long held traditions. However now, we are compromising that Knanaya heritage.  Our traditions go back 1700 years, which is an undeniable fact. We love our church and we all have faith in God. I do not believe that anyone is against the Knanaya Catholic Church.  When we use the word “Knanaya” to describe a church, that church must embody the principles of the Knanaya Catholic Community. There is no compromise when it comes to this matter.

My dear brothers and sisters, have you ever thought about the next generation? We are the connecting link between our current generation and the next generation. We, as members of the church, have the responsibility to uphold and preserve our values and traditions within our Knanaya Catholic Church. This also means that the rules of the Knanaya Catholic Church membership should align with the principles of the Knanaya Catholic Community. If it does not, we cannot turn a blind eye and call it a Knanaya Catholic Church. So ask yourself what is more important to you: keeping our heritage or planting the seed that will eventually weaken the foundation our community was built on?

I am sorry to say this, but the way things are going now, Knanaya traditions will be over in less than twenty years. What then do we have to offer our future generations?

The Knanaya community formed long before the Syro-Malabar church. We are the reason for the growth and safe living of Christians in Kerala. Despite all of this, our existence, the existence of the Knanaya community, is now in jeopardy.

No one can destroy our Knanaya heritage if we all stand united. So my dear brothers and sisters: It is time to rise up. It is time to fight for our common goal. And it is time to put an end to the threat of our community.

Unity our Strength. Tradition our Pride.

Thank you,

Sajan Kuzhiparambil

Director, Knanaya Yuvajanavedi-New York