Carols and hymns echoing
Prayagraj: A grand candlelight service themed ‘A Night of Glorious Praise’ lit up the CNI Katra Church here on Friday, drawing hundreds of devotees to celebrate preparations for Lord Jesus’ birth under the theme ‘Jesus is the Light of the World’.The evening service, which began at 6 pm, saw worshippers singing devotional songs amid the soft glow of candles, offering thanks to the Lord. Church Presbyter-in-Charge Rev. Ajit Oliver Francis and Associate Priest Angelina Chintamani welcomed choirs from St. John’s Church (Naini), Jamuna Church, St. Paul, St. Peter, and Katra Church.The service opened with prayers and Bible readings, featuring a message from chief guest Bishop Morris E. Dan of the Diocese of Lucknow (CNI).
Citing Luke 11:33-35 from the New Testament, he said, “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand so those who come in can see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body is full of light. But if they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, therefore, that the light within you is not darkness.”Choirs from St. John’s Church Naini Community, Mary Lucas School and College, Bishop Johnson School Girls Wing, Bishop Johnson Extension, and others enthralled the audience with qawwalis like “He is a child yet holds strange majesty” and traditional carols, earning loud applause.Led by Youth Convenor Samson Samuel, the youth groups sang hymns.
The event concluded with a faith prayer, followed by a procession around the church building, with participants holding lit candles and chanting songs like “Jesus has come, bringing salvation” and “Messiah has come to the manger.”Rev. Ajit Oliver Francis offered prayers for peace and harmony in the country. Among those present were Vandana Francis, Puneet Chintamani, Priest Praveen Massey, Ankit Hegens, Raja Mitra, Abhishek Asgar, Amit Macarthy, Charlotte Paul, Jayant Higgins, Sanjay Walter Karn, Tanu Vyas, Abhishek Vyas, Priyadarshini Singh, Preeti Lal, and media representative Sunil Kumar Verma.
