Christmas of the year 2023 was a very joyful and devotional celebration in spite of the news of tension and absence of peace in many parts of the world. Thousands of people frequented the Cathedral Church compound on Christmas day and in the days after. Following all the government Protocols the Christian Community of Lucknow and around rejoiced in a grand way, as it celebrated the great and joyful feast of Christmas!
The Christmas Season had begun on Sunday, December 3, 2023 with the starting of the Advent season. The more immediate celebrations began about two weeks before Christmas with the making of the Crib, illuminations and decorations and Carol singing in families. Many were the Christmas activities which brought joy and happiness in the lives of people.
The St. Joseph’s Cathedral had the Christmas ‘Midnight’ Mass at 10:30 p.m. starting with the singing of the Christmas Carols and presided over by Bishop Gerald J. Mathias,. Bishop of Lucknow and concelebrated by other Priests, living in and around the Cathedral, on 24th December 2023. This year, unlike in a few previous years, there were no restrictions on masks etc but the volunteers ensured that the members of the Parish got enough place in the Church to participate in the Holy Mass. About 400 representatives of various Wards and communities participated in each of the 2 Christmas Masses, at 10:30 p.m. on 24TH December 2023 and at 9.00am on Christmas Day itself.
While the Cathedral compound was decorated brightly with Christmas lights, Christmas Crib and Christmas Stars, entry was free and thousands of people thronged the campus to see these. The enthusiasm and faith of thousands of people to visit the Christmas Crib and to light candles at the Marian Grotto outside all precautions and about 80,000 people of all faiths visited the Cathedral Campus for prayer and devotion between 10.00 am and 9.00 pm on 25th December, the day of Christmas! Every year, on Christmas Day, from about 10.00 a.m. until 10.00p.m more than 100,000(one lakh people) used to visit the Cathedral Church on Christmas Day to express their faith and devotion to God.
On the next day of Christmas, on 26th December 2023, a Get-Together for the prominent citizens of Lucknow city was held in the Cathedral Campus. The much-awaited Parish Christmas Tree was conducted, on 27th December 2023, to make the Families and Children of the Parish happy and joyful at the birth of the Lord Jesus. In the evening hours of 25th December the Christmas Dance Drama, titled ‘Kripa Patr Baalak’ was played before the gathered huge crowd to convey the message of Christmas! In his Christmas message, Bishop Gerald Mathias of Lucknow had said, “In Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace! May this Christmas bring us real peace and joy offered by Lord Jesus Christ, which is very much needed in the world of today”. He appealed to the community to return to the spiritual message of Christmas and not to be tempted to commercialize this important holy feast.