The hand bell rings, signalling the beginning of Sunday school.
“Stand up please!”
Headmaster George Samuel walks through the rows of students gathered in the left part of the church facing the altar. Boys and girls from preschool to 12th grade are gradually filling in their spots, the tallest in the back and the shortest at the front.
The Deacon asks them to calm down a little: “This is a worship place so our voices always have to be quiet. You can speak with each other but not shout, deal?”
The first minutes of Sunday school at the Saint Mary Orthodox Church on Bedford Park Boulevard in the Bronx are dedicated to singing. Then two students come up to the microphone and read excerpts from the Bible out loud. After that, Samuel leads the prayer before sending everyone to class.
In a kaleidoscopic manner, the 88 students then split up into their age groups. All around the room the small groups gather in circles, some are sitting on chairs and others are cross-legged on the red carpet floor. Today they are reviewing the curriculum for a midterm exam they will take on February 22. The diocese in India sets the curriculum and every Indian Orthodox Church across the globe stands by it.
Riny Mathai teaches fourth grade. She starts out by asking the five students in her group how they are doing with the learning of Psalm 91. They complain that it’s too long but she encourages them: “do the best you can.” Then they go over what will be the easiest part of the test: the “word meanings.” Students are expected to learn the Syriac translation of the main vocabulary used during the service.
“What does ‘Kurielaison’ mean?” They hesitate a moment then shout out “Lord, have mercy!” Then Mathai asks about the “Pentecost.” It means “50th day.” “And what do we celebrate?” One boy, Philip Thomas, jumps on his chair and proudly cries out: “Jesus rides a donkey!” The teacher kindly laughs and corrects him: “That would be Holy Thursday.” During Pentecost, Christians commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.
Once the words have all been reviewed, Mathai starts asking the students about some excerpts of the Bible they studied and the meaning of certain rituals: “Why is the kiss of peace such an important gesture?” She helps the children formulate that it is about forgiving and passing peace on.
Mathai grew up in this church and went on to be a substitute teacher and then a teacher herself on Sundays. In her day job, she is a physician. To become a Sunday school teacher you must pass and receive the diploma at the end of the 10th grade and the certificate at the end of the 12th. To achieve that you must obtain a score of 50 or higher at the final exam, which takes place every year in June. Teachers must be college graduates, but if one doesn’t meet all those requirements, there is the possibility to prepare for the teacher-training certificate at any point. The Indian Orthodox Church sets the rules.
At the end of each year there is a medal ceremony. The diocese is trying to make Sunday school mandatory for all according to George Alexander, one of the Church’s devotees. He has two children enrolled. Priya and Sohan won’t be able to make it to the midterm this year however, because they are all travelling to Kerala in India to visit family. Alexander thinks it can be hard for the children to study for Sunday school on top of actual school homework. But it’s important to familiarize them with the scriptures and the Syriac language so they can fully understand the meaning of every ritual and what goes on during the Holy Qurbana ceremony.
Saint Mary Orthodox Church is located at 360 Bedford Park Blvd, Bronx ,NY 10458.