The years that were

I began visiting Christ Church in the summer of 1985. I had just moved away from home and joined Mar Ivanios College in Trivandrum for my Pre-Degree Course, as it was known then. In those days, coming to Church on Sunday was the only relief I could find from all the strange and new experiences of hostel life and the unbearable burden of homesickness. For the next two years, I was a regular attendee every Sunday, even though I had settled quite comfortably into college life and the way of life in Kerala.
I left Trivandrum in 1987 and have since traveled the world, seen a lot and learnt a lot but my relationship with Christ Church never weakened by the Grace of God. In the last 20 years, Christ Church was home and host to my wedding and the baptism of my two children. It was also a wonderful place of worship where we offered thanks on our birthdays and wedding anniversaries, enjoyed fellowship on Sundays as well as celebrated many a Easter, Christmas and New Year.
This year as Christ Church celebrates its 150th year, I am humbled when I think of how this simple Church in faraway Trivandrum would have affected the lives of the millions of souls who, through the years, would have visited, prayed and sought solace within the sanctity of its walls. Our sincere prayers and best wishes go out to all those who work endlessly to keep up its spirit and values.

Aby Mathew