By Matt Kappadakunnel, Crisis Magazine, Aug. 25, 2021
Matt Kappadakunnel is a finance professional who lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two young children. He is from the Syro-Malabar Rite. Previously, Matt spent a few years studying to be a Catholic priest, culminating in graduate studies at Fordham University. …
If one were to visit Kerala (the southernmost state of India, known for the early Christian community founded by St. Thomas the Apostle) and drive through the various towns and villages, one would find bold displays of Christianity amid a predominantly Hindu country.
A Catholic parish is not hidden away in a town but exhibited brightly in the center. There are pictures of Jesus and Mary on billboards and banners. Every Catholic business and home has the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus prominently showcased.
We can learn from the Catholics of Kerala how to be unabashed in our faith. …