Elderly give a miss to Thanksgiving at churches in Hyderabad
As elderly are vulnerable to Covid, many of them abstained from turning up at churches
HYDERABAD: Thanksgiving Sunday was celebrated amid social distancing and observance of Covid-19 protocol at all churches in the city and at Medak. Senior citizens, who used to be hitherto active on the church premises during Thanksgiving, restricted themselves to online services. Most of them sent their offerings of thanks with their family members or through online transactions.
Church activities remained low key but worship and messages remained the same. Medak Cathedral witnessed people coming in from neighbouring states and districts for its services.
Peter Santosh Divaker, pastorate committee member of Wesley Church, Ramkot, said they strictly adhered to Coronavirus guidelines. Church services went on smoothly with people making their offerings.
Members of Niel Methodist Church at Padmaraonagar decorated their church with flowers. After the service, they organised lunch for all members, said Reverend Timothy of the church.
Centenary Methodist Church at Chapel Road held its services in Hindustani, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu and English at different timeslots. Soon after the service was over, Reverend Ashok Sawalker auctioned fruits and vegetables brought in by the devout for Thanksgiving.
B. Vasanth Rao, secretary of coordination committee at the church, oversaw all arrangements for smooth conduct of services. But he himself missed the D-Day because of age restrictions under Covid-19 protocol.