Report by Chrysanthi Silva, for SL NSW Catholic Association

Braving the unusual chilly weather on the fourth day of summer (Sunday the 4th of December), the members of the Sri Lankan catholic community in Sydney and their friends were gathering up in the church hall of Our Lady of Lourdes, Seven Hills. This was to watch yet another presentation of the Carol Service organised by the Sri Lankan NSW Catholic Association (SLNSW).

This is an annual family and community event organised by the SLNSW to celebrate the peace and joy of Christmas in commemoration of the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. This is the fifth consecutive year that it was being held. This year’s program maintained the joyful spirit that has become the hallmark of this annual event and all who attended were treated to a thoroughly enjoyable and spiritually uplifting experience.

The program commenced with an opening prayer and welcome by Fr. Jude Nicholas, the Chaplain for the Sri Lankan Catholic community in Sydney. This year’s Christmas message was delivered by Rev Fr. Dominic Ceresoli, the Episcopal Vicar for Immigration of the Catholic Immigration Office. The carols by the children’s choir followed by the combined youth and senior choirs held the audience spell-bound by the energy and the quality of their singing. One of the main highlights of the program was the beautiful nativity play performed by the children of the Sri Lankan Catholic community and their friends, which dramatically and musically portrayed the Biblical events leading up to the Birth of Jesus Christ.

Other highlights included a ‘Welcome to country’’ and a liturgical dance to the soft music of ‘One People One Country’ by an Aboriginal group and a musical item by two youths (members of the Tamil community in Sydney). The children’s choir came back on stage to sing ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Rudolph the red nosed reindeer’ leading up to the arrival of Santa Claus who was mobbed by the ecstatic children. The raffle added excitement and the winners took away their prizes with pride and joy. The singing of the final hymn ‘Silent Night’ on a solemn note concluded a beautiful, spiritually rewarding, yet fun-filled night.

The event was graced by the Chief Guest Rev Fr. Dominic Ceresoli, the Episcopal Vicar for Immigration of the Catholic Immigration Office and other distinguished guests, Mr Dayasiri Fernando, The Sri Lankan Consul General in Sydney and Mrs Fernando, and visiting priests from Sri Lanka - Rev Fr. Prasanna Warnakulasooriya and Rev. Fr. Kennedy Perera.

Click here to enjoy an album of photos by Roy Gunaratne & Ranjith Wijayasekara.