As I mentioned earlier, my parents revolved around the church and faith, so the children were influenced by their way. Faith in God and His mercy and compassion, the teachings of the church, the importance of confession and Holy Communion were instilled in us from the earliest years.

My second brother James (Babychachen) after completing his Master's degree in Economics from Delhi school of Economics and working at Thailand Embassy in New Delhi for a couple of years had decided to choose priesthood as his vocation. My parents were proud of his decision as he would be the first priest in the entire family. He was ordained as a priest on 8th December 1966 at St. Joseph's Cathedral, Chikmagalur by Arch Bishop Mathias.

My parents along with me and my sister and many of our relatives couldn't attend the ordination because of the long distance from Changanasserry, journey through the Western Ghats and the climate. So he had celebrated his first Holy Mass at St. Mary's church, Changanasserry on 11th December. All the relatives had gone to confession to receive Holy Communion from him. I was particularly excited to serve the Mass as an altar boy. My grandfather who was aged 90 years was the first one to receive the Holy Communion from the newly ordained priest followed by my parents. After the mass, we all kissed his hands. The new priest gave my father a white silk napkin on which it was written "A priest forever" beautifully embroidered in blue thread by the sisters of Chikmagalur convent. My mother, preserved it safely, and she placed it on his coffin in his burial.

Kochamma (my mother's eldest sister) was a great soul. She was married at the age of 12 years in 1910. It was an arranged marriage between the parents without seeing the boy and the girl. Soon she found that the person she married was mentally retarded and left him for good. The marriage was never dissolved, but they never stayed together. She was a victim of an arranged marriage in childhood. But she wore her Thali (mangalsuthra) till she died at the age of 99 years. Child marriage robs a girl of her childhood. A child never becomes biologically, physically or emotionally ready to become a wife or a mother. These young girls have a lot of talents and creativity. They are all buried at a young age.

Since she returned back home, her role in the family had redefined. She had become a housekeeper, helping all other married women in the family, especially helping them to deliver children, a nurse, and a guide. She was very firm in her actions and slowly stamped her authority in all the families. She had a great influence on my grandfather and other people approached him through her. Her favorite child was my eldest brother John and he used to call her mother. She was a great helper to my family in difficult times. Whenever there is need she used to step in, sometimes going an extra mile. My parents were indebted to her for her magnanimity and generosity. When I was born, she was already on her sixties and so she had assigned the role of a grandmother. She also served as my Godmother when I was baptized.