Hyderabad: The Church of South India (CSI) and its churches are gearing up for a grand Christmas celebration, said Bishop A C Solomon Raj, bishop Medak Diocese, CSI, under whom there are 1,300 churches apart from several educational institutions.
Speaking to this correspondent, the bishop said that this year he will be celebrating his Christmas with leprosy patients. He said all celebrations will be governed by Covid protocol and government guidelines.
According to him the CSI institutions, in his diocese, were into charitable activities during the lockdown and after it was lifted. Salaries have been paid in full, despite fall in revenue, he said. They had provided employment to some of those who had lost their jobs, he said.
“From June, five new educational institutions will get going and over 1,000 students can stay and pursue their education, which is totally free,” he said.
“On the day of Christmas I will be preaching in four churches in the city, and then leave for Dichipally, near Nizamabad. There is a leprosy colony and I will be spending my Christmas with them,” he said.
There are many beautiful churches under CSI, with one being the Medak Church, which is a popular tourist destination.
CSI St George’s Anglican church at Abids was built in 1844, according to its pastor, Rev. U. Daniel, “The church has been recognized and awarded by INTAC. It has only one service on Sundays, while on December 25, the service will begin at 8:30 am.
CSI All Saints Church, at cantonment, Timulgherry, which was constructed in 1860, is one of the finest churches in the city, said Rev Justus Moni, its pastor.
The church, with around 700 families as members, will have midnight service on December 24, he pointed out.
CSI Holy Trinity church, established in 1847, resembles countryside churches of England, thanks to its Gothic architecture. This was built by the pocket money of Queen Victoria on the land donated by the Nizam, according to Rev Prashant Babu.
“This church has a pipe organ, which is one of the rarest in the world,” he said.
