RANCHI/JAMSHEDPUR: Braving the winter chill and temperatures plummeting to 6°Celsius, thousands of men, women and children lit candles, attended the midnight and the early morning church service and sang carols to ring in Christmas at various churches across the state.At the more than the century-old St Mary’s Cathedral at Purulia Road in the capital, archbishop Felix Toppo reminded the gathering that Jesus had instructed his disciples to love their neighbours just as they would love themselves. He stressed that only by spreading love and joy, would the world become a better place to live in.Even the 145-year-old St Paul’s Cathedral under the Church of North India at Bahubazar and the 173-year-old Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church at Main Road, Ranchi, were overflowing with people.Archbishop Toppo was greeted by one and all, including leaders of the Jharkhamd Sadbhavna Manch, members of the civil society, leaders from other faiths along with Subodh Kant Sahay, senior Congress leader, Mahua Maji from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and sisters of various church congregations.At a function at St Joseph’s Hall, Cardinal Telesphore P Toppo prayed for Jharkhand and for the entire country so that better sense prevailed and the fruits of development could be shared by all. “Concerned by ills, even Jesus had called upon his disciples to spread his message of love, peace and joy. Similarly, we should not be silent spectators to the ills that are happening all around us. It would be a sin if we choose to remain silent,” the archbishop told the gathering.In Jamshedpur , Christmas celebrations commenced with the midnight mass, marking the birth of Christ. The morning witnessed to host of celebratory events at churches, clubs and hotels. Christian colonies like Birsanagar, Sonari, Baridih, Sundernagar and Sitaramdera were soaked in festivities with enthusiasts dancing to the beat of popular Hindi songs.“Christmas is the manifestation of peace, love, humanity and service to the destitute. Let’s all join hands in fighting the ills of society,” said vicar-general of Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur, Fr David Vincent, in his Christmas message.Johan Dang, moderator of the 173-year-old Gossner Evangelical Lutheran (GEL) Church, the oldest church in the region, stressed on loving ‘thy neighbour’. His counterpart at the Church of North India, Chotanagpur diocese, Bishop B B Baskey, too, urged all to remember the lessons from the life of Christ—compassion, tolerance, kindness and reconciliation.

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