The Catholic communities of Sri Lanka distribute food and supplies to the poorest families and prisoners, launch initiatives in favor of the humblest workers, and the Christmas tree decorations recall the hardships experienced by the population. The Catholic faithful responded in this way to the invitation of Card. Malcolm Ranjith: Living this Christmas with the desire to “share”
Colombo () – The Catholic community of Sri Lanka is preparing to experience a Christmas different from that of other years: the economic crisis has had the country on its knees for months and has left heavy consequences among families. Accepting the invitation of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, Catholic believers multiplied their solidarity initiatives on the occasion of the festival.
“True Christmas is sharing the love of Jesus with others,” explains Father Basil Rohan, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Sri Lanka. in dialogue with account: “For us, today it becomes responding to the hunger of people who are fighting against the serious economic crisis in our country. Those who have must share with those who suffer. Throughout the country we have distributed bags of food for the most people in need”.
In the diocese of Colombo -with the participation of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith-, 40 families of blind people, 50 deaf-mute children and 35 disabled children received non-perishable food and other provisions, as well as backpacks, school supplies and shoes. The scene was repeated with 99 families from a tea plantation where the majority of Hindus and Catholics from the diocese of Kandy live; and with 100 families from the diocese of Kurunegala; 100 families from the diocese of Batticaloa; 100 families from the diocese of Trincomalee; 80 families affected by a tsunami living in the diocese of Chilaw and 100 families from the diocese of Galle; with the farmers who work on the plantations and 80 other families on the island of Kalpitiya: they all received food bags, non-perishable food and backpacks and school books for the children.
In addition, the Pontifical Mission Societies responded to the request of the Colombo prison and shared Christmas with the inmates by donating clothing for men and women. They also handed out bags of food to workers who collect waste in Colombo Municipality. “They thanked us warmly.”
In Negombo, students from St Joseph’s College organized a plate fair at the school, raising money for 19 low-income school workers. “Among the students there were those who needed financial help to buy medicine and food, but they wanted to share their Christmas with these workers,” he explained to Sister Priyanka Perera, head of the class that participated in the initiative.
Simplicity was also the hallmark of the Christmas event at the Picchamalwatta Child Development Center in the Mutwal area of Colombo. Instead of the usual decorations, the children placed on the Christmas tree some messages that symbolize the problems they face at home and at school. And they asked that the birth of Jesus bring relief in the midst of these hardships. “The price of shoes is very high”, “malnutrition has increased”, “there is no money to buy books”, “there is no powdered milk”, “medications are consuming us”, are some of the messages that it carries the tree.
“Due to the country’s economic problems”, comments Fr. Rohan Silva, “this Christmas we are going to celebrate it in a very simple way. But its message is very profound. The fact that the Son of God has come to live with us it means that we are people of value, regardless of the state we live in. That is why we must love God by loving others.”
