Carmelite of Mary Immaculate Father Mathew Chandrankunnel heads Ecumenical Christian Centre (ECC), a Protestant-initiated institute in Bengaluru, capital of Karnataka State.

The centre was set up in 1963 by the late Reverend M. A. Thomas of the Mar Thoma Church to promote “unity among all humankind and creation.” ECC’s key focus is to empower people of various faith communities to lead a harmonious life with dignity.

Matters India Special Correspondent in Manila, Santosh Digal, conducted an email interview with Father Chandrankunnel about ECC programs and his experiences of interdenominational and interreligious work.

“In the monastery, I saw a painting of Jesus praying in the Gethsemane placed at a prominent place in their temple. Interacting with the Swamis enlightened me to look for the Divine beyond all religious traditions. I became a professor at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram after my studies abroad. I was asked to be in charge of the Centre for the Study of World religions, a post that helped me associate closely with the Indian religious traditions. It has pebbles collected from Haridwar, Himalayas, with Buddhist mandala, the five kosha’s of Indian philosophy, and three ponds with a broad fountain represents body, mind and soul as a continuum as well as Living Water’s Fountain.