By Fr. Elvis Fernandes, SFX.
Panaji: “Christmas has a very special place in my heart. I am so glad to be a part of Sadbhav Christmas, which celebrates Christmas in its true spirit – the spirit of joy, love, peace and promoting goodwill,” said Chief Guest Dr. Sneha Gitte IAS, Collector and District Magistrate, North Goa at the inter-religious celebration of Christmas, hosted by the Society of Pilar in Goa.
Dr. Gitte acknowledged that this celebration has brought together people from different communities to celebrate the true spirit of peace and harmony. She exhorted everyone to work together to promote communal harmony. ‘Sadbhav Christmas’, an annual celebration of Christmas with people from different Faith communities was held on 16 December at Pilar Pilgrim Centre in Pilar, the headquarters of the indigenous congregation situated some 10 km east of Panaji, the capital of Goa state.
The programme began with a devotional dance by Bhagyashree Chari, a young classical dancer, in Kathak style, on the hymn ‘Vachan Tumhare’, leading the gathering into moments of God experience. This was followed by words of welcome by Rev. Fr. Lawrence Fernandes, the Director of the Pilar Pilgrim Centre. In his welcome address he said that “Christmas evokes in us the profound feelings of peace, brotherhood, joy, love and reveals God’s purpose of coming into this world”.
Later, Daniel Dias, a talented Harpist from Mumbai, having his roots in Goa, rendered four Christmas carols on the harp. The Pilar Music School, Margao, performed ‘I believe’ and ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo’ two carols in English and Konkani respectively, under the direction of Fr. Myron Sequeira, the director of Pilar Music Academy of the Goa Province.
Speaking on the occasion, Rev. Fr. Steevan D’Souza, the Vicar General of the Society of Pilar, said that “Christmas is a celebration of the Divine becoming human and living amidst us and within us”. He further said that “the Indian greeting, Namaskar, which means, the divine in me greets the divine in you, encapsulates the meaning of Christmas. Therefore, when we respect and honour each other and live in harmony, we live the Christmas message”.
Adding substance to Sadbhav Christmas was the Divli folk dance, performed by the Mosamkar Kulaswamini Kala Sangh, Anjunem Morlem Colony, Sattari Goa. They awed the audience with their breath-taking performance. “Divli Pettoun uzvadd ami fankoum-ia, monam, kallzam porzollit korum-ia” (Light lamps and radiate the light; and illumine minds and hearts), these lines of the song sung by the singers, as the young women performed the Divli folk dance, resonated with the essence of Christmas.
Another group travelling all the way from Sonshi, Honda, Goa, the Pioneer Readers Club and Socio-Cultural Centre, performed a Qawwali on the theme of peace titled ‘Shanti ka doot’.
Invited to speak on behalf of all the communities, Nazrana Banu Shaikh, Asst. Prof. Carmel College, Nuvem, shared her thoughts on the theme of ‘peace’. She said “every religion offers unique perspectives on the profound significance of peace”. Quoting the words of Jesus, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God’, she said that “peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a state of harmony and righteousness”.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Fr. Elvis Fernandes, the convenor of Sadbhav. The entire programme was seamlessly woven by Marisha Gonsalves and Abhishek Naik who compered the programme.
Sadbhav Christmas is an activity of Sadbhav, an initiative of the Society of Pilar to foster interfaith relations and communal harmony.