Members of the Christian community attended the midnight mass for Easter after a year of lockdown. Several are thankful to be able to visit their place of worship, while many rue their inability to meet with their family and friends owing to the rising number of cases in the city.
Easter special mass at Santhome church on Sunday.
Chennai:
For many, this festival was starkly different compared to how they celebrated Easter last year. When at the peak of the lockdown last year, many residents took to celebrating the festival online, so the change of pace this year was welcomed. For those who couldn’t attend the mass at the church, especially senior citizens, churches posted live streams on social media.
“It feels really good to go back to church for mass after so long. Last year, we were praying from home, but we weren’t able to capture the spirit of the holy day. Going back to midnight mass was emotional and sentimental for me because I missed being in the Lord’s presence and receiving his blessings,” said Maria, a resident of Perambur.
Members of the Anglo-Indian community, who have family traditions of dance, drink and dinner, were unable to do so this year.
Meanwhile, The All India Anglo Indian Association, Perambur Branch, decided to distribute hampers to around 30 senior citizens and underprivileged persons the day before Easter. “We were unable to hold our yearly distribution on Easter last year because the restrictions. This year, we managed to distribute the hampers. The spirit of the festival is to be kind and charitable to all, so it was good to be able to spend the day with our beneficiaries,” said Penelope Mckertish, president of The All India Anglo Indian Association, Perambur Branch.
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