Hyd all set for Christmas
Amid pandemic, celebrations in high spirit with many events being held
Churches across the city were decorated and illuminated with colourful lights on the eve of Christmas on Friday, with devotees busy celebrating the festival in myriad ways. Not just Christians, people of other faiths also greeted each other on the occasion, while churches witnessed prayers, midnight masses, candlelight vigils and carols.
From the start of the Advent season till the lighting of the fifth candle on Christmas day, all activities concerning the Christmas went on with prayers.
There are around 38 churches in the city under the Methodist denomination, and Bishop M.A. Daniel will be preaching at Methodist Millennium Church, SD Road, Secunderabad for the 8.30 am service, and then at 11 am at Centenary Methodist Church, Chapel Road, for Telugu service, English
7.30 am, Hindustani service is scheduled at 9 am and Kannada service at
9.30 am.
The Church of South India (CSI) Medak Cathedral, which is the second largest in Asia, is an iconic structure of heritage. According to the pastor of this church, Rev. Andrew Prem Sukumar, “Bishop A. C. Solomon Raj, Medak Diocese, CSI, will be preaching at the 4.30 am service. There is a 10 am service, in which I will be delivering the message of Christmas. There will be a lot of visitors from Hyderabad who will attend the service.” United Peoples Fellowship, which is having its combined Christmas service, starts at 10 am at Osmania Gardens at Adikmet. This service will be led by Sis, Joy Cherian,” he said.
At St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Gunfoundry, the first Mass starts at 6 am, the second at 8 am, the third Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop of Hyderabad Dr Poola Anthony, and at 11.30 am there will be regular Mass.
St George’s Church, Abids, has one service at 8.30 am.
John Wesley Methodist Church at Goutamnagar, Malkajgiri, has a service at 8.00 am, and at Neil Methodist Church, Ramnagar, Christmas worship service is at 10.30 am. Dr Sanjay Paul will be preaching, at Lutheran Church, LakdikaPul at 8 am service, then at Methodist Church, Lalapet, at 10.30 am.
At St. Mary’s Basilica in Secunderabad, masses will be at 6.30 am, 8.30 am, 9.30 am, 11.30 am and at 5 pm.
Holy Family Church at Trimulgherry, established in 1880, has around 2,000 families in its parish, and the Mass starts at 7 am in Tamil followed by 8.30 am in English.
At Sacred Heart Church, at South Lalaguda, the Mass will be at 6.30 am in English, 8.30 am in Telugu and 10 am in English. At St Anthony’s Church, RK Puram, there will be one Mass at 8 am.
St John the Baptist Church of the CSI, at Secunderabad, which was established in 1813, according to its treasurer Norman Issac, will be having service at 8.30 am. He said the elderly and those who are ill could attend the service online.