SMCB Times - Jerlin Kaithamattam

Jerlin's Journey at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church

When Did You Become A Member of Our Parish?

When my family came to America in 2001, we initially moved in with my Uncle and Aunt, James and Alice Kutticherry. They were instrumental in our involvement in this parish, as it was through them that my family became acquainted to different members of our community. We became members of our parish at its very beginning, when His Excellency Mar Jacob Angadiath, Bishop of St. Thomas Syro Malabar diocese of Chicago conducted the official inauguration of the mission as St.Thomas Syro Malabar Church Boston.

In Which Grade Did You Join The CCD Program?

Our parish's CCD program began back in 2004, and this is when I joined, as a pre-school student. My mom, Sheela Kaithamattam, was one of the few original CCD teachers. She still tells me stories about how we all began our CCD days. In the beginning, age groups were clumped together and students of different age groups all studied together. For example, in the first year of the CCD program at our church, my mother taught pre-k through 3rd grade together. We spent our Sundays learning about the gospel, and prayers in an unconventional way - through singing. My mother was a big fan of devotional hymns. I remember I was not too fond of singing when I was young, however slowly, I realized that through singing I was able to learn a lot more about prayer and devotion than I ever could through a textbook.

How Important Was Being A Member Of The Community To You And Your Family In The Years Since?

In the years since we first joined this church and community, the importance of being a member has only grown. With each passing year, the parish and its community continued to grow and it felt as if my family was growing too. Sunday masses, CCD, church events, bible month, and holidays became so special and it was so fulfilling to expereience it all with our SMCB community. Being a member of this community has always and will continue to mean so much to my family. In times of trouble and despair, especially as we have all see in the past year, this church community has been one to lean on.

How Has Your CCD Education Influenced You In Later Years Now That You're In College?

My CCD education has shaped me in countless ways, and there are so many things I learned in my years as a CCD student that I still carry with me today. CCD introduced me to my faith and helped me begin to develop my own personal relationship with God. I learned extremely important prayers and devotions that have helped me through both good times and bad. Beyond the essential curriculum, being a student in our CCD program has pushed me out of my comfort zone in so many ways. I was quite shy as a child, however being in CCD put me in situations where I had to act in skits, perform hymns, and even write for people to see. While these tasks sound simple now, it seemed much scarier as a kid. Eventually however, after years of bible months, holiday performances, and more, I was able to improve on some valuable life skills that I still carry with me today, like public speaking and article writing.

Christmas Nativity Performance

Article I Wrote For the SMCB 2010 Newsletter

From Your Perspective, How Has The Community Changed From When You Initially Joined?

From my perspective, the community has gotten exponentially bigger from when my family initially joined. Back at its inception, our parish community was so incredibly small. From then until now, the number of people who call this parish home has skyrocketed. Over the last few years, I have been away at college and it honestly seems like each time I come home and attend mass, there are new faces that I have never seen before. Seeing this makes me so incredibly happy, as it just goes to show how much we have grown as a community over the years. I love the idea that a new generation of kids will be going through their CCD years here, and grow up surrounded by amazing people and an amazing community just as I have all these years. Seeing all these new faces makes me so hopeful for our parish's future!

What Was Your Favorite Part About Growing Up In The Church?

My favorite part about growing up in this church has to be the fact that it has always felt like a second home. For as long as I can remember, growing up was filled with many different traditions, routines, and events. One of these staple events throughout my entire life has been attending CCD and mass at our Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Over the years, I have met some amazing people and made some wonderful friends. My memories with this parish will remain forever; from church picnics to holdays to kanjee after mass, there is nothing like home, and there is nothing like growing up in this parish.