In New South Wales (NSW), Christmas was celebrated at St. Brigid’s Catholic Church, Marrickville. The theme for the event, attended by 150 people, was “Joy to the World.” The peaceful ambience of the church offered a beautiful setting for the programme, which began with an offering of flowers to Mother Mary by the SSE children. Sister Elena, Mother Superior of the Passionist Sisters, gave a welcome address, and Sathya Sai Young Adults sang carols and read from the Bible about the birth of Jesus Christ. Volunteers donated 108 hampers of food to the Tregear School, along with 48 large hampers of food to Marrickville Church, for distribution to the local community. A member of the Marrickville Conference of the St. Vincent De Paul Society spoke about the importance of such donations and their salutary effect on community residents.
In an enduring partnership, the SSIO of NSW Region West has organised an annual Christmas celebration for senior citizens, in collaboration with SydWest Multicultural Services, for the past four years. At an event held in December 2016, the Christmas spirit of selfless love and giving was felt by participants of many faiths and national origins, including Australian, Arabic, Bhutanese, Chinese, Croatian, Filipino, Fijian, Iranian, Indian, Spanish, Serbian, Sri Lankan, Turkish and other communities. The gala occasion featured Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, and Serbian dances, a choir presentation by 30 Chinese seniors from SydWest Multicultural Services and the Blacktown Chinese Christian Church Group, a Pacific Islander dance by Sathya Sai Young Adults, and a finale of Christmas carols by Team Expansion, consisting of Sathya Sai children and Young Adults.
You must be logged in to post a comment.