In this blessed Christmas month it is important to remember the beautiful message of Jesus Christ which is to spread love and joy to everyone around us. In keeping with the word of Jesus Christ St. Johns Church along with other Christian denominations and Churches in Kandy conducted a Christmas program in Kandy and Peradeniya hospitals over three days last week.
The parish priest of the St. Johns church Reverend Father Nishantha Fernando talking with Youth Observer said “a special Christmas program was conducted at the hospitals. It is a program which has continued for a number of years where different Christian denominations and churches take responsibility to have different programs in different wards in the two hospitals with the coordination provided by the Health Care Christian Fellowship which includes doctors attached to Christian churches in and around Kandy.
St. Johns church did five wards including the children’s ward at Kandy General Hospital. Through the sharing system implemented in all wards both hospitals were covered in an effective manner.
The Christmas program consisted a number of activities which included Santa visiting all the wards along with a choir group which would sing carols for the patients, providing sanitation packs for the elderly and gift packs for children with toys and sweets. A reverend father accompanying the group would pray in all the wards and if requested he would pray for individual patients as well. Contributions to this thoughtful program was provided by the congregation of all the churches and well wishers. A list was sent around so that all needed items could be collected.
Along with the Christmas program at local hospitals, another program was conducted by Christian churches where dry rations were provided to poor families, identified through the visitasions made by such families to the churches and through information provided by church members.