Easter celebrated in Chandigarh amid Covid precautions

At many churches, service was held in slots to avoid crowding; president of the Tricity Churches Association appealed to people to stay together in these tough times

Easter, which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, was celebrated at churches in the city on Sunday with Covid restrictions in place.

Maintaining social distancing, devotees attending the Easter Sunday service at the Christ the King Cathedral in Sector 19, Chandigarh. (Keshav Singh/HT)

Speaking about the celebrations, bishop Ignatius Mascarenhas of the Roman Catholic Church, Simla and Chandigarh Diocese, said, “This Easter was extra special for us, since we couldn’t celebrate last year. We had organised four services at Christ the King Cathedral in Sector 19, so that crowds remained manageable. People themselves followed all rules to maintain Covid protocol.”

He added that the congregation prayed that Covid is dealt with on a global scale and for those who lost their lives during the pandemic. The church didn’t hold a traditional Easter lunch this time. “However, we had cake and coffee on Sunday. On Saturday, we had provided devotees with Easter eggs and coffee,” he added.

At the Christ Church CNI in Sector 18, a function was organised from 11am to 5pm . “We had requested people not to stay in the church for long. Snacks were packed for them to take home,” said secretary Parkash Masih. He added that over 500 people had turned up for the service on Sunday, but it was distributed evenly in various slots, to avoid crowding.