Andrea's Journey @SMCB

Andrea Mechery shares her experiences growing up with St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church

Andrea Mechery is a rising junior at the University of Connecticut pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering. She’s lives in Auburn, MA with her parents and brother. Outside of school, she enjoys singing with her acapella team and reading books!

When did you become a member of our church?

Andrea with parents Migi and Louis Mechery and brother Ryan - 2014

My family first joined the church in 2004. At the time, we were living in a small apartment in Worcester, Mass. and only knew a handful of malayalees, but my dad was invited to a small gathering in Shrewsbury. My family attended the prayer meeting and learned about how we had a church in Waltham, MA under Fr. Varghese Perappadan and we started going every week!

How important is being a member of the community to you and your family in the years since?

I would say that I owe nearly all of who I am to the church. I used to be a shy kid from a small town with no friends that looked like me or shared the same language and culture. The church provided me with this community that’s always been a constant in my life. I always know that no matter what I’m doing or where I am, I’ll always have that community back home in Boston and it's comforting to know that. Additionally, the church provided me with a platform for me to explore my talents and overcome my limits. From the dance and piano classes in the early days of the church to my involvement in the English choir and programs such as Bible Month and VBS, I grew out of my shy shell into a confident woman.

Waltham Church

Welcoming our Bishop

From your perspective, how has the community changed from when you initially joined?

The community has grown significantly from when I was a little kid. At the beginning, we were a small knit community where everyone came together from different parts of the state and connected as Malayalee christians. We were mostly a group of young families so it was clear that everyone wanted to make a space for their children to learn about their Keralite heritage and understand the Syro-Malabar traditions. Fast forward a decade later, our community has grown and evolved in members and opportunities and I’m confident to say that we all have found our purpose in the church. We now have so many prayer units, a large youth group, and multiple opportunities from Parish council to choir. It's astonishing to see where we once were to who we are today. Back then there were so many people I looked up to as role models growing up, and it's crazy to think that I am now in a position where I could be a role model to kids younger than me!

Teachers appreciation 2011

2014 Bible Month

What was your favorite part about growing up in the church?

Seeing my friends every week and dressing up for Christmas, Easter, and the Perunnal was my favorite part of growing up in our church! It’s always such a special time and the atmosphere truly made me proud to be a Syro-Malabar christian.

How has your CCD education influenced you in your later years?

I started CCD in the 2nd grade and my decade in the program was such an instrumental part to my faith formation and discovering my identity. In the younger grades we learned about the fundamentals of Christianity as a whole and why it was important to learn all of the prayers and rituals. As we got older, the focus shifted more specifically to Syro-Malabar Christianity, where we learned the history behind our church.

2019 CCD Graduation with Tony Achan and teachers Ranit and Don.

2019 Bible Month, with Johnson Job, Don , Fr. Tony and Trustee Rexy.

Once we got into high school, I loved how CCD became a space for all of us to settle down and just come together amidst the craziness that was teenage life. It was a confusing time as we figured out who we were becoming and I really appreciated all my teachers who gave us great advice that I still use to this day. I couldn’t have been who I am today without all of those lessons and the teachers that taught them.