Despite the State government withdrawing its decision to impose night curfew, churches and chapels in Belagavi and surrounding areas held Christmas prayers in the evening instead of the usual practice of holding them at midnight.
This was as per the announcement of Bishop of the Diocese of Belagavi and Karwar, Rev. Derek Fernandes made on Wednesday.
While congregations prayed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Christmas eve on Thursday, following COVID-19 guidelines, priests offered midnight prayers from nearby churches privately. This was decided owing to the prevailing pandemic, even before the State government announced the night curfew.
In his annual Christmas message, the Bishop asked believers to share whatever they had. “Let us share from whatever we have with the poor and the needy during this Christmas, and share this love of God,” he said.
“Christmas is a very important feast for Christians, second only to the celebration of Easter. Christmas is a feast of Love, Joy and Peace; for, God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to be our Saviour who came in human form and lived just like us in everything except sin. We should all remember that and be inspired by that,” he said.
The Saint Fatima Cathedral, the Saint Paul Church and other such places were decorated with lights.
