Madhya Pradesh: No midnight mass, but Christmas magic enters hearts & Jesus Christ blesses all in their homes: Christmas message from Bishop of Indore & others
While coronavirus outbreak has tinted the usual Christmas celebrations, the magic of the festival found its way in form of divinity in the heart of faithful. On Christmas eve, while people could not gather for special midnight Christmas mass, everyone prayed and witnessed the birth of baby Jesus in their homes and hearts.
Most community members spend the Christmas eve praying for the world to be healed from coronavirus and sought blessings for all. A lot of community members decided to celebrate Christmas in a simpler way without decorations and used the saved amount to help underprivileged families with necessary items.
On Christmas eve, when usually, thousands gathered for midnight mass, church doors remained closed. Holy mass was organised in the evening between 5 and 7 o'clock in nine Catholic churches.
After this, the churches closed their doors for the first on Christmas night. This was done to avoid coronavirus spread and risk crowding in churches.
There will be Holy Mass and worship in churches on December 25 at 6.30 am to 8.30 am. After this, churches will be kept closed throughout the day so that the crowd does not gather. Only 100 devotees will be able to worship in the church at a time.
Churches will be open for visit on 26, 27 and 28. Keeping in mind the social distancing, stickers are placed on the benches in the St. Francis Assisi Cathedral (Red Church).
Earlier, six to seven devotees used to sit and worship on a bench, but now only two or three will be able to sit.
Sanitizer machines have been installed at many places in the church premises. It will be mandatory for everyone to wear a mask.
Christmas Message from Bishop of Indore diocese
“The world has been under the threat of Corona Virus during the last nine months. We are told to keep distance from other people. Many people have died and many are infected. Economies of nations are under great stress.
Large numbers of people have lost jobs and are facing hardships. All are in the expectation of an effective remedy. Such was the situation of human beings before the coming of Christ.
Only difference is that it was a spiritual virus which we call sin. Distance was growing in the relationship of man with man and man with God. All were in the expectation of a promised messiah who would come and free us from sin and bridge the gap in our relationships.
In the fullness of time, God send his son among us who was named Jesus because he would save his people from their sin (Mt.1.21). When the wall of sin is broken, distances collapse and relationship is established. May this Christmas bring us closer to God and to one another!
In spite of the physical distance which we are forced to keep, may our relationships grow. May our hearts be large enough to accept all and work for the welfare of all! May God fill us with love, joy and peace!”
Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal SVD
Community will attend mass in 3 separate groups at St Joseph Church, Nanda Nagar
St Joseph Church, Nanda Nagar divided church’s community into three groups and accordingly three holy Masses were planned: 7 pm on December 24, 7 am and 8.30 am on Dec 25.
The usual midnight celebrations were cancelled due to covid-19. Each celebration will have 100 to 125 people. The reason for cancellation of midnight mass was to avoid crowding in the church premises.
Church will remain closed for visitors on Dec 25.
Messages from St Joseph Church, Nanda Nagar
“We certainly pray to The Child Jesus, the saviour to rescue and deliver the entire word from the pandemic corona virus and establish peace and harmony. The humans must fly away from the hedonistic attitude to recognize the presence of the almighty.”
Fr. Thomas Rajamanikam
Priest of St Joseph Church, Nanda Nagar
“Christmas is festival of ‘All’ and not only of Christian. This year's Christmas will be different due to covid-19. Even though we feel spiritual pleasure on this occasion, this year's Christmas give important to spiritual celebration.
We should prepare our hearts as a manger where Jesus Christ can take birth. May the Almighty God give us relief from covid-19 and bless everyone. Wish everyone by heart Happy Christmas and peaceful new year.”
Sharman Vincent Francis
Prayers from St Arnold’s
“We hope your Christmas season is full of joy, peace, and love. The year 2020 has been a whirlwind, a pandemic and a nightmare for all us. However dear friends God taking the form of a poor human being born in a simple cow shed is a great consolation for all of us that he understands all our worries, difficulties, sickness, poverty, happiness and joy. Hence even in this unprecedented time of COVID-19 Pandemic where we live in the midst of a continual stream of bad news, there is always hope.
A hope is created in our minds that soon vaccine will be available, a hope that soon we will return to normalcy, a hope that soon those who lost jobs will find new jobs, a hope that soon people will set up their business to normalcy, a hope that soon schools will reopen... and friends this is the message of hope which is Christmas.
We hope and pray that your days are filled with joy and laughter among family and friends. May your new year be filled with good health and happiness! Merry Christmas!”
Fr Pious Cyriac
St Arnold's School Vijay Nagar
St Theresa Church, Khajrana Road, Pushpnagar
In St Theresa Church, Khajrana Road, Pushpnagar, community members came together for Christmas celebration and sang carols at 5:30 pm. Further, community members attended the Holy Mass.
Fr Martin Kujur from the church shared that the main celebrants of the ceremony were Fr Philip OA and Jacob.
Every family has unique ways to celebrate Christmas
To keep up the spirit of the festival for children at home, many community members prepared a small crib wherein baby Jesus lay and blessed everyone. One such family was Sushil Francis and family, where they created a beautiful crib at home and celebrated the fest in a simple way.
Another family setting a new example was Rajesh Francis and family, which chose to feed the needy for a week by saving the money from festive celebrations.
Most community members spend the Christmas eve praying for the world to be healed from coronavirus and sought blessings for all. A lot of community members decided to celebrate Christmas in a simpler way without decorations and used the saved amount to help underprivileged families with necessary items.
On Christmas eve, when usually, thousands gathered for midnight mass, church doors remained closed. Holy mass was organised in the evening between 5 and 7 o'clock in nine Catholic churches.
After this, the churches closed their doors for the first on Christmas night. This was done to avoid coronavirus spread and risk crowding in churches.
There will be Holy Mass and worship in churches on December 25 at 6.30 am to 8.30 am. After this, churches will be kept closed throughout the day so that the crowd does not gather. Only 100 devotees will be able to worship in the church at a time.
Churches will be open for visit on 26, 27 and 28. Keeping in mind the social distancing, stickers are placed on the benches in the St. Francis Assisi Cathedral (Red Church).
Earlier, six to seven devotees used to sit and worship on a bench, but now only two or three will be able to sit.
Sanitizer machines have been installed at many places in the church premises. It will be mandatory for everyone to wear a mask.
Christmas Message from Bishop of Indore diocese
“The world has been under the threat of Corona Virus during the last nine months. We are told to keep distance from other people. Many people have died and many are infected. Economies of nations are under great stress.
Large numbers of people have lost jobs and are facing hardships. All are in the expectation of an effective remedy. Such was the situation of human beings before the coming of Christ.
Only difference is that it was a spiritual virus which we call sin. Distance was growing in the relationship of man with man and man with God. All were in the expectation of a promised messiah who would come and free us from sin and bridge the gap in our relationships.
In the fullness of time, God send his son among us who was named Jesus because he would save his people from their sin (Mt.1.21). When the wall of sin is broken, distances collapse and relationship is established. May this Christmas bring us closer to God and to one another!
In spite of the physical distance which we are forced to keep, may our relationships grow. May our hearts be large enough to accept all and work for the welfare of all! May God fill us with love, joy and peace!”
Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal SVD
Community will attend mass in 3 separate groups at St Joseph Church, Nanda Nagar
St Joseph Church, Nanda Nagar divided church’s community into three groups and accordingly three holy Masses were planned: 7 pm on December 24, 7 am and 8.30 am on Dec 25.
The usual midnight celebrations were cancelled due to covid-19. Each celebration will have 100 to 125 people. The reason for cancellation of midnight mass was to avoid crowding in the church premises.
Church will remain closed for visitors on Dec 25.
Messages from St Joseph Church, Nanda Nagar
“We certainly pray to The Child Jesus, the saviour to rescue and deliver the entire word from the pandemic corona virus and establish peace and harmony. The humans must fly away from the hedonistic attitude to recognize the presence of the almighty.”
Fr. Thomas Rajamanikam
Priest of St Joseph Church, Nanda Nagar
“Christmas is festival of ‘All’ and not only of Christian. This year's Christmas will be different due to covid-19. Even though we feel spiritual pleasure on this occasion, this year's Christmas give important to spiritual celebration.
We should prepare our hearts as a manger where Jesus Christ can take birth. May the Almighty God give us relief from covid-19 and bless everyone. Wish everyone by heart Happy Christmas and peaceful new year.”
Sharman Vincent Francis
Prayers from St Arnold’s
“We hope your Christmas season is full of joy, peace, and love. The year 2020 has been a whirlwind, a pandemic and a nightmare for all us. However dear friends God taking the form of a poor human being born in a simple cow shed is a great consolation for all of us that he understands all our worries, difficulties, sickness, poverty, happiness and joy. Hence even in this unprecedented time of COVID-19 Pandemic where we live in the midst of a continual stream of bad news, there is always hope.
A hope is created in our minds that soon vaccine will be available, a hope that soon we will return to normalcy, a hope that soon those who lost jobs will find new jobs, a hope that soon people will set up their business to normalcy, a hope that soon schools will reopen... and friends this is the message of hope which is Christmas.
We hope and pray that your days are filled with joy and laughter among family and friends. May your new year be filled with good health and happiness! Merry Christmas!”
Fr Pious Cyriac
St Arnold's School Vijay Nagar
St Theresa Church, Khajrana Road, Pushpnagar
In St Theresa Church, Khajrana Road, Pushpnagar, community members came together for Christmas celebration and sang carols at 5:30 pm. Further, community members attended the Holy Mass.
Fr Martin Kujur from the church shared that the main celebrants of the ceremony were Fr Philip OA and Jacob.
Every family has unique ways to celebrate Christmas
To keep up the spirit of the festival for children at home, many community members prepared a small crib wherein baby Jesus lay and blessed everyone. One such family was Sushil Francis and family, where they created a beautiful crib at home and celebrated the fest in a simple way.
Another family setting a new example was Rajesh Francis and family, which chose to feed the needy for a week by saving the money from festive celebrations.