ചിക്കാഗോ മേയ് വുഡ്‌ പള്ളിയില്‍ നിന്നും അങ്ങാടിയത്ത് പിതാവിനയച്ച പരാതി

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Dear Your Excellency Mar Jacob Angadiath,

Let us first wish you all the greetings of this wonderful Christmas season and the New Year. We hope that we find you in good spirits.

We have been selected by the Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Church parishioners as their representatives to formulate a response to the Pastoral Letter that was sent by your Excellency and read out at our Church during the Sunday mass on December 23, 2012. The parishioners received this letter with great sadness and distress, especially, when it was received during the season to celebrate the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ. The parishioners requested and the Church executives (Trustees) agreed to call a special Parish meeting on Sunday, December 30, 2012. This meeting was conducted in an amicable manner and the entire parishioners who attended the mass were present during the meeting. The unanimous decision from the meeting was that the directions from the above letter and the instructions from the Oriental Congregation mentioned in the letter (Prot. No. 85/2001) are not acceptable due to the fact that it is against the traditions and practices followed by the worldwide Knanaya Catholic community since time immemorial.

As you know, the Knanaya Catholic community, outside of Kerala, has been under great distress since the first migration from Kerala. Throughout the history, the community has undergone much trials and turbulence all due to the community’s desire to continue the traditions and practices passed down from our forefathers.  The Knanaya Catholic families have followed and maintained their strong Catholic faith throughout the history and that helped us overcome the many struggles along the way. The community’s wish, always, have been to maintain the distinct identity as an endogamous community throughout their personal and spiritual life.  As we all know, this wish was considered, carefully deliberated, and eventually granted by one of the strong pillars of our Catholic Faith – Saint Pious the Xth. It is with this history that we requested to have this tradition and practice be allowed to continue outside of Kerala. But, time and again, this fundamental right was denied. The community has been victimized and forced to undergo the same sufferings, once again.

Due to the selfishness of a few who decided to abandon the traditions and, at the same time, refused to accept the new faith life they have chosen, the majority has been forced to suffer along. This pain and discrimination was forced upon us even when no spiritual discrimination was practiced towards them. The silent majority has been wounded and was in great pain, already, when the new Pastoral Letter was read out in church. It felt like adding salt to a painful wound.

Therefore, the community of Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic parish, Maywood, could not hold back once again and decided to draft this letter to your Highness. With this letter, the parish community is officially stating that the pastoral letter and the instructions from the Oriental Congregation, mentioned in the letter (Prot. No. 85/2001), are not acceptable to us. At the same time, we are requesting, once again, that you support our struggle and appoint a special commission within the Knanaya region to study our needs and cries for the permission to continue our traditions in North America and to form an independent jurisdiction for the Knanaya community.

We hope your Excellency will understand our pain and accept our apologies, in advance, if we have crossed any boundaries with this letter. Once again, the Parishioners of Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Church, Maywood, wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

(On behalf of the Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Parish, Maywood)

Kurian Thottichira,

Jose Kaniyalil,

Jomon Chakiriamthadathil,

Jaimon Natikattu,

Shibu Mulayanikunnel,

cc:

His Eminence Major Archbishop Mar George Alencheril

His Grace Arch Bishop Mar Mathew Moolakatt

His Excellency Bishop Mar Joseph Pandarasseril

Mgr. Abraham Jacob Mutholam, Vicar General (Knanaya Region)

Fr. Saji Pinarkayil, Vicar, Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Parish, Maywood