The Gregorian Community, Come be a part of it.

We have the chance to grow it into something wonderful.

The Gregorian Community is a gift from the Church to us. With our help, our active participation and our contribution in its growth, we can make it into a beautiful gift to God.

There are a lot many things to do at the Gregorian Community. Volunteers can help with the routine day to day running of the community. They can help plan with the building blocks, strategies for the future. With the current struggles with the water, there could be innovate solutions and new directions to take that people with experience of the outside world, with skillsets from their vocations could put to use. The possibilities are endless.

Basically the gregorian Community is at its infancy, from what I could understand, it could be watered, grown and moulded into however we would want it to be. Our time, our resources and our prayers are required at the community now.

We can bring new ideas, creative thoughts to the authorities at the Gregorian Community about which direction to take the community and I am sure it will be considered. Those interested to spend time at the community should contact Rev. Fr. B.M. Thomas who manages the community affairs.

The Grand Vision of the Gregorian Community

Tatev monastery in Armenia

I watched the different developments in the Gregorian Community - the school, its new building, the different plans being talked about for it,  also I watched the development in the land, 20+ acres here, 50+ acres on the hill, the irrigation, the farming, the animals etc. and honestly I felt a little bit disillusioned:

We are building a great school here. But are we in the business of school management?

We have a lot of scope for agricultural development here. But what has that to do with being a Church?

Are we missing the point here? What is the long term plan for the Gregorian Community?

As these questions began to slowly but surely haunt me, I, almost sheepishly, asked Thirumeni "Your grace, I have seen all that you had to show me, but I still have this question - what is your vision for this place?" I could ask with courage knowing I will get a straight answer - from the many experiences from my childhood, when I had asked much sillier questions and had gotten sane answers, from my Kochu Thirumeni of old.

And what a response I got! I am grateful I asked the question. Thirumeni took me inside his room, sat me down, and began to talk - with such conviction and clarity about his vision, that I was amazed at the potential for this place and at the passion of this bishop in wanting to use this land to tranform it into a beautiful gift to God and society.

Gregorian community could develop into a great meditation center

And Thirumeni is planning to unravel his vision more fully and in more detail soon in an article that could be made available worldwide. So let this serve as a preview only - a glimpse into the grand vision for those who have not known it, and a reaffirmation of the vision for those who have been already involved with it.

Our youth today could use a place like this to be one with nature, to search for God, to find answers to their life's problems, to escape from routine and to come and serve society. Inter community, inter faith dialogues, peace initiatives can arise from here. A culture of service, love and humility can be built using this community.

A monastic community, meditation and retreat center, an orphanage, a home for the mentally challenged, all are part of the developing plan and vision. The community can be source of comfort and help for the nearby tribal areas where there is a lot of scope for service and sharing of love.

As the vision is taking root, the school becomes the effective tool for identifying with the place, of becoming a part of the local community. The irrigation becomes a means to achieve self sufficiency in the path to the long term goals. If the youth of the Church, the faithful of the Church can contribute their time and resources, the Gregorian Community can become the blessing and precious gift from the Indian Orthodox Church to Western India that it was intended to be.

No place to hide!

Raghu at the hill

Raghu drove us back from the hill and into the Gregorian Community complex in the valley. I thanked Raghu, Mathukutty uncle and stepped out. The annual day functions of the school had begun. I was getting a bit uncomfortable with the attention and wanted to just relax away from the thick of things. "Good! so now everyone will be busy, I can just be on my own" no sooner did that thought pass by me, that I heard Cincy Kochamma calling out to me"come, we were waiting for you". No amount of protests from me helped. I was shown the way to the front of the school ground that had been packed by parents and teachers by then, all watching the programs with great enthusiasm.

I did love the programs, I loved the performances, especially I loved to watch the efforts these kids, their parents and teachers were putting into these, even though they do not have the best of the facilities. But I would have preferred watching all these from the back rows, rather than being right in the front, among the VIPS. "I am not used to this!" I realized. But little did I know that when you are a Metropolitan's guest, you really have no place to hide!

So there I was - sitting in the front row, but then the situation became even worse. The dignitaries were called on stage for the public felicitations. I wished I could become invisible. I tried to remain grounded on my seat, while Thirumeni, Thomas achen and the others went up to the stage. From up there, Thomas achen motioned to me  - I had to go. So I now found myself on the stage, looking onto a sea of people. I closed my eyes to test if I could disappear. I could not.

But I liked the ceremony even though I was uncomfortable. Dr. Sunny Pariyaram, Thomas achen and Thirumeni along with several others spoke on the occasion. Earlier in the day, Thirumeni had asked me if I could speak for 3 minutes and I had politely refused since I had not prepared - but I had not expected that I would be on the dias either. Now I wished I had accepted the offer, this was an opportunity to speak for the Church, about a mission of the Church, the mission of education, to the local population - I had missed an opportunity I thought.

I also wished I was a gifted speaker, and since I knew I was not, I thanked my lucky stars I had not accepted the offer of the bishop, so that I was spared of an opportunity to make a fool of myself. But an opportunity missed nevertheless, I could not help thinking.



Annual day function

Anyways, as this session concluded, and the cultural programs were to continue, I walked down from the dias - "let me just mingle into the crowd now" I thought. But just as I tried, another teacher spotted me and ushered me into the area where the bishop was now entertaining the local government officials who had come for the function. Too many people recognize me, I sighed. Just some of the side effects of being with a bishop!

Finally as the snacks was over and Thirumeni bid goodbye to the officials, I slipped out. I went to the back of the grounds, night had fallen, so I was safe. And finally I was able to be on my own. :)

But not for long, as I walked around in the background, glancing at the programs on stage in between, I saw one of the teachers come to me, politely leading me up to the front once again, and getting me a chair from somewhere to sit. And as I obeyed, Thomas achen who was sitting in the nearby chair whispered to me" Where were you? Thirumeni was asking for you!" I gave up then. When you are with Thirumeni and in a public function like this, its impossible to lose yourself in the crowd, there is just no place to hide!

A chapel on the Hill

The chapel on the hill, a symbol of things to come.

I have seen many decorated chapels, but the one on the hill in the Gregorian Community will be unique in my mind, in the sense it was deprived of all its color and splendor. We do not have a regular worship here, so the chapel was nothing but a long hall when I saw it. But as I went in there, I could sense the peace, the calmness of the place which has been taken aside and kept for the heavenly sacrifice which sanctifies the world. In a sense, the stripped down chapel reminded me that heavenly beauty is not in the color, the richness or even the symbols we see so readily in our chapels and cathedrals worldwide, the decorations are but means to try and explain the unexplainable, all are man's feeble attempts to approach the unapproachable. Here on this hill, this chapel, devoid of all those earthly beauty and richness, still emanates a beauty of its own.

Devoid of color, holy nevertheless

Mathukutty uncle told me that once in  a while they have worship and prayers here, but it has not yet become regular. Once the water problem is resolved, and the place becomes more regularly used and becomes the center of many activities, this chapel will naturally become the hub for worship, for study, retreat and prayers. For now, it stands as a symbol of things to come.

I walked into the chapel solemnly, watched the blank walls, and remembered something from a sermon of old - "The Church is annointed with the Holy Mooron when it is set apart (consecrated) for the service of God, just as the baptized person is annointed with the Holy Mooron." This place I am now standing on, is annointed, and is holy, despite what the outward appearance is, I reminded myself, as I stepped out.

The Hill - its highs and lows

The hill country of Gregorian Community- a serene spot blessed by nature

Thirumeni said he will send someone with me to go to the hill. The hill, as I learnt later, was a stretch of 55 acres of more land we had as part of the Gregorian community. And all this land formed part of one of the most beautiful hills in the area.

The property on "the hill"

So soon, after having a cup of tea, I was off to the hill with driver Raghu and Mathukutty uncle. (There were two Mathukuttys there, so Mathukutty uncle was the elder Mathukutty :)) Mathukutty uncle, who seemed like a person in his fifties, had been in the Community since the past 5 years. His wife has now passed away and his son is working abroad. He took me around the entire place and showed me around. I am grateful for his kindness shown.

Thirumeni was attracted to the hill ("The Mala" as they called in Malayalam) by its serenity and calmness. Thirumeni had climbed several hills in the area, before choosing this one. It was an ideal setting for many of the plans that were outlined in Thirumeni's vision for the place and the Gregorian community. It seemed like a perfect place, I thought for building up the community.

"We are trying to get over the water problem" Mathukutty uncle

But alas, the hill had its own lows, which had become apparent only later. There was a huge water problem there. We do not have enough water there to carry us through the dry months. During the rains there are small streams that take the water to the river, but it goes bone dry in the dry months. There has been several attempts over the years to find a solution, we are trying out different things, we are trying to involve the government, Thirumeni is very hopeful we will get a lasting solution in the near future.



Different attempts to store water have yet to bear fruit

I sincerely hope and pray the water problem at this place is resolved so that we can use the place as we had originally intended - for being a place of peace, of comfort, of searching God and finding Him.

The Chapel in the Roha valley

The chapel

We were tired by the time we finished our tour of the place, but Thirumeni was not. "Lets have the noon prayer" the bishop told us. We went into the chapel that was opened for us as Thirumeni went to get his black cloak(kuppayam) which is part of the official attire of the bishop for services of the Church.

It was a nice small chapel. I noted how Thirumeni, who had a lot more room and amenities like air conditioning etc in the different chapels, churches and cathedrals in Mumbai where he is the Metropolitan was completely at home at the simple chapel here.

As part of the order of prayers during the Lent time, we have the prostration (Kumbideel) 40 times which we all participate in. I watched as Thirumeni led us in each of those, even though HG was not in the best of health. I noticed a couple of old ladies, from the Old Age Home there also participating in the prayers. Cincy Kochamma, whom I had just met, wife of the achen in charge of the Community, Rev. Fr. Thomas B.M. was right in the forefront in the prayers, even though she had been brought up outside Kerala.I later asked her how she managed Malayalam so well. She replied, it was her strict upbringing at home and also later at the Seminary. I later came to know that she had also graduated from the Nagpur Theological Seminary! Wow! I thought. It was nice to meet her and achen, I had seen them on FaceBook but it was great to know more about them.

Thirumeni had earlier mentioned that since a few years now, Thirumeni was based here during the Three Day Fast (Moonu Nombu) a time of fasting prescribed by the Church about 3 weeks before the beginning of the Great Lent. And this chapel had been the setting for different retreats and conventions during the time. The local congregation which is quite small would come and worship at this chapel as well.

paintings at the chapel

I heard from Thirumeni how in this year's retreat during the Three Day Fast, which had just finished in January, there was a sermon by a lady from Vashi, who had been a person of great conviction in her faith, and who had been born a Hindu but baptized into the Church later. I later got the opportunity to meet this lady in Vashi, and could see what Thirumeni had meant - and how her message would have glowed and touched many in this little chapel at the time.
After the noon prayer, we kissed the hands of the bishop, and as I walked out I watched the different paintings of icons lined against the walls of the chapel.

Shown around by a Metropolitan

With HG leading us, we could not go wrong.

We had the honor of being shown around the land of the Gregorian Community in Roha by the Senior Metropolitan of the Church, HG Geevarghese Mar Coorilose. I had this thought and the profoundness of the honor in the back of my mind always, as I walked behind His Grace and the other visitors whom Thirumeni was taking around, familiarizing them (and me) with the place.



the platform in the riverbank

during the conference, evening prayer(file picture from FB)

We walked past the school grounds where a stage was being set for the Annual Day functions in the evening. We walked past the beautiful coconut trees, mango trees, and other plants that made it look like a mini-Kerala there. Thirumeni led us to a beautiful river bank which, as I had seen in the pictures, was the setting for an evening prayer at the Global MGOCSM Conference held recently there. I could imagine the scene of the MGOCSM kids on the river bank and could almost hear their voices echoing synchronously over the serenity of the river as they would have immersed themselves in the beautiful evening prayer on that evening right there, a couple of months earlier.



Kappa (yuca)

chickoo

We passed a hut where we were served some drinks. It was really hot out there. Cincy Kochamma who along with her husband Rev. Fr. B.M. Thomas were currently managing the Gregorian Community, had been running around to ensure that we were comfortable. She was kind enough to bring out a few umbrellas for us to escape the sun, as well as arrange for the some water to drink.

Sunny uncle saw a couple of young sheep and went and picked one up as I hurried to capture that on my camera. Nearby we saw kappa (yuca) plants, chickoo, plaintains, and different vegetable plants especially famous among the Malayalees like - koval, paval etc. Now I understand why Thirumeni loves to come here, I thought - when he is away from Kerala, this place would remind him of God's own country!

Thirumeni explained to us how many selfless volunteers had worked day in and day out to convert the area within a short time into a place suitable for holding such a major event as the MGOCSM conference, as we passed by the different structures that had served as kitchen, serving area, living area etc during the conference. Thirumeni was very happy with the way the conference had panned out and it shown on his face and his words.

We walked into a stable where there were a few cows and calves, walked past homes of some of the local people who worked in the community and back to the school area from where we had started. Thirumeni then went on to show us the new construction of the school, the different rooms etc.

There is a nice chapel there beside the bishop's house, and we soon had our noon prayer there.

We have about 23 acres of land at this location in Roha. It is upto us, the Church, to use it, and build it into something beautiful for the glory of God and for the good of the society. I pray for this to happen.

A Home for the Elderly

The Old Age home is housed here at present.

We have a few inmates presently at our Old Age Home functioning in the Gregorian Community. As is the case with many of our elderly people who find themselves in such homes in the evening of their lives, these inmates have led decent lives in the past, and are hence often frustrated by the turn of events that have led them to this place.

Many times, all they need is a listening ear, a word of care, a touch of love. Coorilose Thirumeni, I observed, understood this need very well. After the noon prayer, while walking towards the dining area, one old lady from the home walked with His Grace. She was complaining about something and Thirumeni, despite being a little late, stopped and listened intently, took her with him and chatted for some time, advising her and comforting her. Another person came and sat with Thirumeni during lunch, pouring out his frustrations over some recent incidents and Thirumeni simply listened. Thirumeni later told me this person, who seemed from Goa, by his attire, was an expert in playing some musical instrument. He had lost many things in his life, and he himself was to blame for most of it, and would use his passion in music to bury his sorrows in. Seeing his interest in music, Thirumeni would sometimes invite him to play in front of different groups at the Gregorian Community. Sometimes he would play, and in the middle of it, he would also talk about life and his experiences making it a very interesting session, Thirumeni said.

Thirumeni also spoke of another two ladies in the home, who would complain about many things. Thirumeni made them to stay together once and they came back to Thirumeni saying it will not work out. Thirumeni told them "You are going to stay together whatever happens. You can use the time to fight with each other, or find ways to live like good neighbors, like good sisters" They have been managing well with each other, Thirumeni said. The old age is like a second childhood and you need creative ways to deal with their issues, conflicts and worries, Thirumeni told me while talking about the Old Age Home.

The School in Roha

 

The board could use a makover

 We have a well run school in Roha. It uses the much reputed CBSE syllabus, over 800 students from the area whom we educate there. A school is an excellent vehicle to connect with the local population and to serve them by educating their children into worthy citizens of the land.



The current school building

The road till here for the school has not been easy. There has been oppositions, political pressures all kinds of problems against the running of the school. But by God's grace, we have been able to survive all that. We recently received a No Objection from the government, after much heart ache, to use the land (which is zoned as agricultural land), for the purpose of the school. A new building is now being constructed and it should be ready soon for use for the school.

The new school building being constructed

I think we have classes till sixth standard as of now. As I witnessed the preparations and presentations by the children, parents and teachers during their Annual day function later in the evening, I could sense how the Church in this area was reaching out, connecting with and serving the local population, by means of this school. I could also sense how the local population was responding to the efforts of the school with much enthusiasm, gratitude and hope for their children. Thank God for the school and its mission.

Off to Roha with the Metropolitan!

The Aramana (bishop's house) in Vashi.

I arrived at the Aramana early on the 12th and called up His Grace. "I am at the gate" I told him. "Did you have your breakfast" was the benovalent father's first concern. I told him I did and thanked him. I had grown up in faith under the watchful eyes of the bishop (and patient ears, I should add, because I would bug him a lot with my often silly questions, I remember) and it was a privilege to be travelling with him. Thirumeni (bishop) said he would be coming down in a bit. Outside the jeep was washed by Raghu who was the driver. I chatted a bit with Raghu.

Soon Dr. Sunny Pariyaram, whom I had known since my MGOCSM days in Vashi, emerged from the Aramana with Fr. Abraham Joseph. I went to greet Father Joseph who had been my vicar during my Vashi days. I introduced myself to Dr. Pariyaram. Dr. Pariyaram was to accompany us to Roha. Thirumeni was also taking two other guests with him.

It is not everyday that you get to travel with a Senior Metropolitan of the Church and I had never been to Roha. So I had pounced on the opportunity which Thirumeni had offered when I had gone to meet His Grace a few days earlier with Sumam and the kids"On the 12th of February if you are available, you all could come with me to visit the Gregorian Community in Roha. It will be a nice opportunity for the kids to enjoy" "Yessss.." I had grabbed on it! "We would love to come". But later we dropped out the kids and Sumam from the plan as we thought the kids needed some rest after some crazy travelling in Kerala and back to Mumbai via Bangalore.

Soon Thirumeni appeared from the Aramana building and I went to get his blessings, as is normal in our custom when one meets a High Priest of the Church.



The beautiful Kundalika river in Roha

Raghu had told me that we should reach Roha in about 2-3 hours time. It was a nice drive through the Palm beach Marg, through the Bombay Pune expressway and then diverting to a National Highway. I was told the road was the Mumbai Goa route. There were many resorts on the way. The place has been abundantly blessed by nature, with hills and valleys arranged beautifully along the way. The famous tourist spot of Alibaug is not far away from Roha. The Kundalika river which flows from the Sahyadhri hills to the Arabian sea flows through Roha adding to its beauty, and the river flows right beside our land in the Gregorian Community as I later learnt.

The main entrance

Roha is a small town in Raigad district, Maharashtra state, India, 120 km south-east of Mumbai as per the wikipedia.There was a place called "Kolad" very close to Roha. And "Kollad" is the home town of Coorilose Thirumeni in Kerala. What a brilliant coincidence that the place which Thirumeni bears so close to his heart bears the same name!

The Roha railway station which has trains running from Panvel which is now a major hub from Mumbai, is very close to the Gregorian Community.

I thorougly enjoyed the ride into the Gregorian Community in Roha. Thirumeni and Dr. Pariyaram (Sunny uncle) were mostly engaged in discussions about the diocese, but both took time in between to explain the route, the region and the Gregorian Community to us.