On the occasion of Easter Sunday, Christians across the city offered special prayers in churches to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Devotees in large numbers visited churches like Beldih Baptist Church, St George’s Church in Northern Town, St Mary’s Church in Bistupur to offer their prayers.The worshippers, attired in their best clothes, attended the midnight mass. The churches were decorated with colourful lights.
The parishioners lit candles. On Easter Sunday, veiled cross in churches were unveiled.The Roman Catholic Churches organised a midnight mass that started around 11:30 pm on Saturday. The rituals started with blessing of the candle followed by the Easter vigil mass.
“Easter Sunday is the central religious feast in the Christian liturgical year,” Father David of Bishop House, Golmuri said. “According to Christian scripture, lord Jesus was resurrected on the third day after his crucifixion. Easter is the strongest pillar of Christian faith and the most important event of the history. Easter gives spiritual power to work, accept the discipline, and make sacrifice,” he added. Father David Vincent, vicar general of the Jamshedpur Diocese said “Easter is an occasion of rejoicing, thanks giving and sacrifice to the teachings of Christ.”
Christian families offer sweet bread to Jesus Christ on Thursday (before the Good Friday) as a mark of the last supper when Christ had dinner with all his devotees. Easter celebrations for most Christians remained an affair to be held at home. ‘Unlike Christmas, Easter is more of a homely affair and people prefer celebrating it at home,’ said an official of Beldih Church School.
An Easter Peace rally will also be taken out from loyola School under the banner of ‘Christians of Jamshedpur’ tomorrow. The rally, which started in 2006 is being organised by all the 45 churches under the banner and 10 NGOs. More than 2000 people are expected to participate in the rally that starts at 8:30 am. Bishop Felix Toppo will lead the rally and also will deliver the Easter peace Rally address after the procession culminates back at loyola School.
“Easter is one such occasion when people get together. So we thought of organising this mass rally so that the true message of Easter can be spread to the maximum number of people,” said a member of the organising committee.