Confirmation of Antariksh

On Palm Sunday there was an important event in our family. Our grand son Antariksh was confrmed in the Church. It would mean he is now a full communicant member of our Church. Traditionally we are from the Weslyan Methodist tradition. In the year 1970 seven major churches agreed upon a church union and the Church of North India was formed. There was already unified church union in South India, named as Church of South India established in 1947. Weslyan Methodist became a part of the CNI and we became a part of the Calcutta Diocese of CNI. Our cathedral church is St. Paul's located at the heart of the city. 

On Palm Sunday we took Antariksh to the St. Paul's Cathedral for Confirmation Service. A large number of clergy was present. The Confirmation was administered by Bishop Ashok Biswas, by anointing oil on the forehead. Over 120 youth took the Confirmation.  

The grand structure, the ornamental alter and the galleries of the Cathedral provided the perfect solemn ambience for the occasion. 

(I was present at the formation Service of CNI in 1970 in this same very Church. I was a college student then and an active part of the SCM- Student Christian Movement. We were a group of students attending the service and for the first time allowed to occupy the front row ..... which were earlier always reserved for the special dignitaries !)

By time the service was over, it was late in the evening. Many relatives attending the church came to Antariksh and he touched their feet, as is the tradition and they all blessed him. Antariksh would take the first Holy Communion on the forthcoming Easter at our mother Church located a bit far away from our home called "Osmond Memorial Church".