By Jay Sorgi • Posted November 18, 2025

Prioritizing the Catholic faith while honoring one’s heritage has defined the experience of countless immigrants and their descendants who have called the Philadelphia area home.

Catholics of Indian descent and guests of many backgrounds came together to celebrate their faith and the cultures of South Asia at Indian Catholic Heritage Day on Saturday, Nov. 8 with a Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Efren V. Esmilla, plus a banquet of Indian dishes and a music- and dance-filled cultural celebration.

“Every year, we look forward to celebrating the unique blend of Indian culture and Catholic faith, highlighting the community’s ancient traditions while affirming its unity within the universal Church,” said Bishop Esmilla.

The Indian American Catholic Association of Greater Philadelphia hosted the event at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church in Northeast Philadelphia, marking the 47th year of the IACA’s presence to help Catholics who migrated mostly from the state of Kerala in Southern India.

>>>Photos: Faith and Culture Unite at Indian Catholic Heritage Day

“In 52 A.D., St. Thomas (the Apostle) came to Kerala,” said Sister Jocelyn Edathil, a Sister of the Imitation of Christ and a professor of clinical medicine at Temple University Hospital.

“In 72, he was martyred, and so the living tradition of the faith in India is this community.”

Charly Chirayath, the IACA’s general secretary, said that most Indian migration to America began in the mid-1970s, including Catholics to Philadelphia.

“Once they came here, there were no formal Indian Catholic churches here, so those early immigrants formed a socio-religious organization of Indian Catholics to cater to their social as well as religious needs,” said Chirayath.

“They conducted Christmas, New Year and other similar functions, inviting other local priests and some visiting Indian priests, and that flourished.”

Many Catholics from India belong to one of four traditions: the Indian Latin Rite; the Syro-Malabar Catholic Rite; and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Rite, which includes the Knanaya Catholic Rite. All the rites are in full communion with the Catholic Church, through the pope.

Priests in Philadelphia serve each of these rites, and all were represented on the altar last Saturday with Bishop Esmilla during the Mass and on stage during the subsequent banquet.

“Our different rites are diverse, diverse cultural expressions which enrich the Catholic Church and reinforce the belief that the Gospel is a universal message that can be lived out to the unique traditions,” said Bishop Esmilla, who immigrated from the Philippines.

“Ancient Catholic traditions bring a unique beauty and identity to the Church, demonstrating the principle of unity in diversity, of a shared belief and a common faith in Jesus Christ. We recognize and respect each other and become no longer strangers, but brothers and sisters who care for one another, our community, our country, and peace in the world.”

The Mass offered 12 Indian Catholic couples the chance to receive special blessings for celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries. Most celebrated their 50th anniversary, with one couple celebrating a 25th.

“In our life, and especially in married couples, you need to have listening ears and a listening heart,” Bishop Esmilla said.

“When your spouse needs you, you give up everything, and that is a sign of your humility, that ‘I will be with you when you need me.’ Jesus died on the cross so that all of us will have life to the full, so always have a humbling spirit to your spouse.”

A program followed the Mass that honored the IACA’s commitment to bridge faith and culture and grow the blessings of Indian immigrants’ lives in America. The program included several traditional Indian dances including a Christian dance.

Organizers offered special gifts to Bishop Esmilla and other honored guests, while they participated in the lighting of a traditional Indian Catholic cross lamp after the Mass.

The day reflected the pattern that countless immigrants of Catholic faith have followed when moving to Philadelphia from all over the world in the last 200 years. They settled in  particular communities and built churches to celebrate their faith while encouraging their heritage.

“Tonight, we gather not only as individuals or families, but as one body in Christ, united by the same faith, and proud to show our Indian heritage,” said Thomas Simon, the IACA’s president.

“This event stands as a beautiful reminder that faith transcends boundaries, and that our diversity of rites is not a division, but a unity of expression within the universal Church.”

The five-decade impact of the IACA has borne out in something Bishop Esmilla spotlighted during the day: a call for more  vocations. He and the other assembled priests congratulated the numerous altar servers who assisted the Mass, encouraging them to consider the priesthood and religious life.

They would follow in the footsteps of Sister Jocelyn, who has combined her vocation in medicine with her entry into the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ, a traditionally Indian religious order for Catholics.

“I really grew up in this Indian American Catholic community. My whole family was very involved,” she said.

“The congregation I belong to now, one of the sisters, told me that when I was 5 years old, my uncle who was a priest said that I’m going to become a sister. I strongly believe that this association really helped me come to the faith. My faith was fostered, and my identity as an Indian American Catholic was very fostered.”