Christmas celebrated with pomp and gaiety in Hyd

Hyderabad: The lanes of the city glowed in the festive spirit of Christmas celebrations on Monday, as the people from the Christian community dressed in their best attire and thronged up to the churches to offer special prayers.

Popular churches include the Wesley church- Secunderabad, CSI Wesley Church, Ramkote, and St Joseph’s Cathedral, where the festivities began at 11 pm on Sunday with midnight mass and continued till the early hours of Monday. Several Christian organisations and churches reached out to orphanages, rehabilitation centres, and poor families and donated both in cash and kind during the pre-Christmas period.

“Christmas mass at St John’s Cathedral was held from 5 am and 8 am on Monday, where we offered prayers for everyone’s well-being and also a vibrant full carol was organised on the premises,” informed one of the members of St Joseph’s Cathedral, Gunfoundry, Abids.

G Selvavice, secretary of the United Christmas Celebration Committee, said, “This year Christmas celebration went on peacefully, as earlier we had many political parties raising objections in various localities but this year everything went on peacefully. Like every year, even this year, all the catholic churches began their celebrations on Sunday midnight. This year for the first time, around 200 members from various churches gathered at the Wesley Degree College ground, Secunderabad on the eve of Christmas for singing carols.”

Phebe Merolica, resident of Secunderabad, who offered prayers at Wesley Church, Secunderabad with his family members, said, “Christmas is about sharing love and happiness with everyone. We enjoy the festival every year.In addition to enjoying a delicious lunch there and praying in the church, I spent the evenings with my friends watching a movie.”

Anthony, a local Christian said, “This year we had a gala time and after the religious ceremonies, everyone in our respective areas joined together for a community feast.” Devasagayam, Vinodini, senior pastor of Trinity Assembly of God Church, said, “This year not only people from the Christian community visited our church but also devotees from all faiths visited churches to offer prayers for the festival about spreading the message of love and brotherhood.”