Christian Communities
For me, Pentecost Sunday this year had an unexpected resonance.
As the service unfolded, readings in many languages including Ugandan, Welsh and others, reminded us that Christianity has always crossed borders and connected continents.
Tradition holds that St Thomas the Apostle arrived in India in AD 52, establishing one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. Today, Christians make up only about 2% of India’s population, but that still amounts to around 28 million people, roughly the population of Australia.
My grandparents lived in the parish of St Thomas Mount in Chennai (formerly Madras). It’s said to be the site where St Thomas was martyred. Numerous shrines and churches in the area preserve his relics and other mementoes of a two millennia old faith.
As a child, I was particularly fascinated by the relic of his toe bone, and shown indentations in the rock at the summit of the hill that local tradition claimed were his footprints.
My daughter has sung at St Stephen’s since she was a toddler through her school services, and joined the Children’s Choir, singing Once in Royal David’s City at this past Christmas concert. A few days later we flew to India. Our multigenerational Christmas took an unexpected turn when my 96-year-old grandmother died peacefully.
A much-loved former head of the parish school, she was buried within a day, in keeping with local custom. Knowing of my daughter’s love of singing, the family asked her to sing at her great-grandmother’s funeral. She chose the hymn she had sung at the St Stephen’s Christmas concert.
So, on a hillside at the heart of Indian Christianity, an echo of St Stephen’s rang out, clear and strong. A reminder that, despite our many languages, the Church sings with one voice.
Mallika Paulraj (choir mum and member of the congregation)
21 June 2026
