The endogamous community's traditions are in jeopardy in the United States.
Hundreds of members Knanaya Catholic Church held a peaceful protest on Sunday in the US city of Elmhurst demanding to accept their unique traditions in the Church.
The Church's members living in US marched past the Elmhurst home of Syro-Malabar Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath.
Rally coordinator Sciens (pronounced Sheens), said this endogamous community's traditions are in jeopardy in the United States.
The rally aimed to show solidarity among the Knanaya community members, who are committed to preserve their traditions dating back to third century when their forefathers migrated from the Middle East to India.
"Our identity is maintained by members being born into the Knanaya community," he said. "Marriages in the church have to be between Knanaya man and Knanaya woman. That is the way the communities have been for hundreds of years," he added.
He said when Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Church, to which the community belongs, established their ecclesiastic structures in the U.S., they had expected they would be allowed to maintain those traditions.
"Recently, through an order, we were told that our community's traditions—membership in our churches—is not consistent with Catholic Church traditions," he said.
"We are trying to show the church they are not correct," Sciens said.
The community now wants a personal parish "for our community" to help protect its identity. "That is our appeal and our plea," he added.
Members at the rally were from New York, Los Angeles and everywhere in between.
"We would like to find a permanent, sustainable solution, because it affects not only Knanaya Catholics in the United States, but also all over the world," Sciens said.
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