On a Sunday morning at Holy Family Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, a small, yet striking church on Oklahoma City’s south side, Father Jimmy James stands relaxed and smiling, to the surprise of no one who knows him.
“I really love you my dear ones,” Father James says from the lectern, with clear genuine affection for those in the pews, many of whom have roots in the Indian state of Kerala, located in the southwestern portion of the Asian subcontinent.
“Just be there for Christ. There is great happiness in this life.”
On this particular Sunday morning, Father James recognizes the work of those in religious life. Specifically, Sister Hridya is celebrating 25 years as a nun, part of the “Jubilee of Religious Life.”
This is an important day for Father James, as his decision to become a priest was one he made many years ago, back in Kerala, as a young person. And so did Sister Hridya, a Syro-Malabar Catholic nun in Oklahoma City, now in her silver jubilee year.
“I thank God for his continual blessings and guiding me through these 25 years,” Sister Hridya said, bringing applause from the parishioners occupying the former Immaculate Conception Catholic Church building, now called Holy Family.
It is part of the Saint Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago. It was Saint Thomas the Apostle who founded the Syro-Malabar Church, which is also called the Church of Saint Thomas Christians in South India.
“The one who sings, prays twice,” Sister Hridya told the jolly choir, which provided a mix of Indian pop, classical and praise and worship music for the congregants.
“Swim against the current. It’s not an easy task,” Father James said, adding that to embrace the religious life is “due to the grace of God.”
Following Mass, the parishioners were invited into the parish hall to enjoy an Indian lunch and cake celebrating Sister Hridya’s silver jubilee.
Many Keralans of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church began settling in North America in the 1960s and 1970s. Eventually, in 2001, with the support and blessing of Pope John Paul II, the Syro-Malabar Eparchy (diocese) of Chicago was established and led to the growth of Syro-Malabar churches in the United States, including here in Oklahoma.
Speaking primarily in Malayalam, the native language of Kerala, Sister Hridya spoke of the “profound significance” of her journey as a nun and how her vows of “poverty, chastity and obedience” to God and the Church were key to the success of her decision to be in religious life.
A few days earlier, in a parlor of the Catholic Pastoral Center, Father James told the Sooner Catholic that like many of his family and friends, he attended Mass regularly. Early on, when he was just a boy, a teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he was an adult.
“I said ‘I wanted to become a priest.’”
His interest in the idea declined during his teen years, yet once into adulthood, Father James was drawn again to the priesthood.
He entered the seminary for 11 years of training in Northern India. Listening to his bishop, knowing there was a need for more Syro-Malabar priests overseas, including the United States, he did as he was instructed, coming to America only a few years ago.
Having arrived in Oklahoma City in 2023, after stints serving in large cities like Chicago, Houston and San Francisco. After serving in those larger cities, he said his bishop wanted him to go to a small parish in Oklahoma City to serve Mass on Sundays and serve in local hospitals during the week.
Father James said he was happy to be in Oklahoma, particularly after the big-city problems he faced, in San Francisco, for instance.
“Our Archbishop Coakley welcomed me,” he said. “I was so happy to come to a place like my own home. Very religious. I am happy to serve them. They need me.”
Father James spoke highly of the scenery and environment in Kerala, a place where “you will find the majority of the Indian Christian population.
“Even the nature is different. Thick greenery. Lots of rain. No severe winter and no severe summer. And it’s only 350 miles in length and about 60 miles width.”
Smiling, Father James said people in Kerala call their state “God’s own country.
“The faith we received was from Saint Thomas the Apostle … he landed (in Kerala) in 52 AD. He converted people in Kerala.”
This was achieved, he said, through the kings and under the caste system, which existed at that time.
“The main people were converted and others followed,” he said.
Eventually, Portuguese explorers went to Kerala, in search of the abundant spices there. Father James said the arrival of missionaries helped with the development of the community, along with people from around the world doing business in Kerala, particularly with the spice trade.
“The literacy rate is almost 100 percent,” he said, noting that the pious population takes their love of God and the Church very seriously. “Family prayer is compulsory. You should be back by 7 o’clock. My parents, grandparents, siblings, should be there for prayer without any excuse.
“This is the background which I was brought up. My mother, very devoted, made sure we attended daily Mass.”
The structure helped with his decision to become a priest. After more than a decade in seminary, Father James became a leading figure in the Catholic school organization covering all of India, a status that led to Father James meeting the holy leader of Tibetan Buddhism – the Dalai Lama.
George Cherayil, who enjoyed lunch at Holy Family, said he, too, was a Kerala native who was in newspaper publishing in various locations throughout the U.S., before settling in Oklahoma City.
“(Father James) is very much part of the community,” Cherayil said, between bites of his lunch. “He has a lot of people coming in.”
The Mass was well attended, with nearly every row in the colorful sanctuary packed, reflecting a message from the church’s website – holyfamilyok.org: “Our Holy Family Syro-Malabar Church is the result of the hard work, prayers, personal and financial support, and dedication of many people. They deserve our deep appreciation and profound gratitude.”
Father James said he doesn’t spend much time with other priests on a social level, as his job serving the sick and his parishioners keeps him quite busy. He’s a busy traveler, as well, as the timeline on his phone reveals 22 countries visited in recent years.
Still, for Father James, this assignment in Oklahoma City has become a home away from home.
“I’m so happy to be in Oklahoma,” he said. “The people are so good. The people are very positive. I feel so good celebrating Mass here.”
Andrew W. Griffin is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
Fr. Jimmy James recently recognized the work of people in religious life during Mass at Holy Family Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Oklahoma City. He specifically recognized Sr. Hridya who celebrated 25 years as a nun. Photos provided.