The city of Hyderabad was filled with festive Christmas celebrations on Monday. The Christian community came dressed in their best clothes and went to the churches to offer special prayers. Some popular churches in the city are Wesley Church in Secunderabad, CSI Wesley Church in Ramkote, and St Joseph’s Cathedral. The festivities began on Sunday at 11 pm with midnight mass and continued until early Monday morning. Many Christian organizations and churches also reached out to orphanages, rehabilitation centers, and poor families to donate money and supplies before Christmas.
At St John’s Cathedral, the Christmas mass was held at 5 am and 8 am on Monday. They offered prayers for everyone’s well-being and organized a vibrant carol on the premises. The United Christmas Celebration Committee secretary, G Selvavice, mentioned that the celebrations went peacefully this year, without any objections from political parties like in previous years. All the Catholic churches started their celebrations at midnight on Sunday. For the first time, around 200 members from various churches gathered at Wesley Degree College ground in Secunderabad to sing carols.
Phebe Merolica, a resident of Secunderabad, prayed at Wesley Church with their family members. They believe that Christmas is about sharing love and happiness with everyone. They enjoyed a delicious lunch at the church and spent the evenings watching a movie with friends. Anthony, another local Christian, mentioned that they had a great time this year. After the religious ceremonies, everyone in their respective areas came together for a community feast.
Vinodini Devasagayam, the senior pastor of Trinity Assembly of God Church, said that not only Christians but also people from all faiths visited their church to offer prayers for the festival and spread the message of love and brotherhood.
