Nostalgia

( An article for our church magazine ‘Visions’)

When I think about writing about my experience in the parish, I remember the poem which I had written almost 11 years ago and was printed in the church magazine, Visions’.

Past Memories

I wish our past was our future, With fr. Farnandez as our teacher

I wish we could see the same vision, When Fr. Johnson announced the competitions

I wish the stage would be there, Which Fr. Augustine made with such care

I wish we could go for picnics, When Fr. Eugene came with us kids

I wish we could hear the same chorus, Which Fr. Vincent sang for us

The last wish I’ll ever make, Come back sweet memories for heaven’s sake

I still wish the same things though a lot more cause a lot of priests than those mentioned above have come and gone leaving a mark of their presence in our hearts. While a special mention of the priests is made here, the sisters of Notre Dame Convent who took initiatives to bring the children together for various programs and activities should not be forgotten. Catechism was especially fun because of the presence of these sisters and sisters from CMC and Missionaries of Charity. Be it preparing skits, doing ‘aarti’ for Mass, having a children’s mass, getting the kids to prepare a program, everything was done with so much love. The song ‘it is better to light just one little candle’ taught by Sr. Rashmi of Notre Dame for one of the children’s mass still rings in my ear.

Being one of the active members of all the activities of the church has been a blessing for me. I was privileged to sing with the deedis and bhaiyas in Babe of Bethlehem when I was just a little girl of 6 years, motivated by Donny Sir. The first Milan (youth program) I participated in was also when I was in 5^th standard and winning a prize for a group event there, is definitely not out of mind. My first movie in a theatre was also from this parish when all the kids were taken to the nearest Savitri Cinema hall to watch ‘Prem ke Diwane’.

And how can I forget the Altar Server’s Sodality I was a part of. I have not seen a better one after our generation. The games we played after Saturday catechism, practicing for the Saturday mass choir, being part of the children’s choir, being part of a children’s prayer group (CPG), cleaning the church, having rakhi brothers, joining the main choir and singing for Maundy Thursday for the first time, being part of cultural events, parish day, rainbows, Christmas tree, joining the youth group (KCYA), organizing Cascades, enriching our talents, youth prayer group meeting on Tuesdays, being in the church more than home had become part of life and church was simply put,  ‘a second home for me’.

When my parents used to tell us of plans to buy a house somewhere, my brother and I would say, ‘buy a house where we can still be part of the same parish’, because we were happy to have most of our needs fulfilled here as being part of this active and vibrant parish.

We Christians are definitely blessed to have a parish community like this where the children can get opportunities to develop their personalities and this can be done only with the cooperation of the parish priests, parish community and of course the freedom and support given by parents. I have learnt a lot being part of this parish and as I sit here in Bangalore and write this I miss everyone there and everything that I have been a part of. One of the only topics I speak of here is about the fun that I had there. Being a girl I can not always hope to be part of the same parish but I always hope to come back whenever possible to relive the wonderful memories.

True Spirit, KCYA