Kolkata: First physical Sunday mass after curbs ease

KOLKATA: All 65 Catholic churches across the city on Sunday saw physical services (mass) conducted by the parish priests and a limited 50 members attending with enthusiasm and piety, following all safety protocols and praying for a ‘softer third wave’. Temperature checks, hand sanitization, masked entry, distanced seating were all in place and priests ensured that only those who had been vaccinated registered for Sunday services. Those yet to be jabbed were advised to come in only after they took the vaccine.
Though the Catholic churches had re-opened on Thursday and not more than 20 people were allowed in, the archdiocese had allowed the numbers to increase to a maximum of 50 on Sunday, since the services done on this day were special for the community. Since a majority was still at home, the services were streamed live for them to attend from home. In every church the services saw a prayer for better times to come as priests and parishioners prayed that the third wave doesn’t turn out to be as harsh as the second.
Archbishop Thomas D Souza set the tone for the Sunday services by reading mass at 6.30 am at the chapel of St Joseph’s home for the aged with the elderly inmates attending in fervent prayers. The archbishop had called out to parish priests two days ago to adopt special programs for the elderly, who should feel that the church was by them in this hour of crisis. The first priest installation ceremony of the Catholic Church this year was held on Sunday at Our Lady of Happy Voyage Church, where vicar general Dominic Gomes installed Father Sunil Kujur at a two-hour ceremony attended by 50 parishioners.
Starting with the morning services, several churches held special services throughout the day so that every time 50 new eager faces could enter the church. “We held four services throughout the day. Fear still hangs in the air and utmost precautions have been taken but there was no denying the happiness in the eyes of those who came in,” said Father Lucas, priest of St Thomas Church Middleton Row.
Sunil Baptist, a member of St Teresa’s Church was happy that he was back in church after a gap of two months. “It’s not the same as attending service online. I am so happy that I received communion physically,” he said. The church has two floors on which the parishioners were evenly spread out. Irving Kleinman (70) was, however, sad that he could not be among the 50 who attended service physically at Christ the King Church at Park Circus. “I will wait for next time. I joined virtually,” he said.
Summing up the mood of the first physical Sunday church service, vicar general Dominic Gomes said, “The refrain across was of hope and earnest prayers to the Lord that the coming days be smoother, the horror of the second wave be over and the third wave, if at all, passes gently.”