Every year, the feast of saint Lazarus is celebrated in a grand manner on the last Saturday and Sunday of January at Our Lady of Guidance Church popularly known as Saint Lazarus Church in R A Puram.
This year, due to the pandemic regulations in force, what used to be a 10-day celebration from the day of the flag hoisting till the feast day has been cut short to just two days.
Rev. Fr Y. F. Bosco, parish priest says that the flag will be hoisted on January 19, followed by Holy Mass at 5.15 p.m. and a car procession.
“The entire celebration will be simple and toned down”, says Father Bosco.
So, a music band which accompanies the procession of the cars in the procession will not be hired. Fire crackers will not be burst.
The cars bearing the statues of Mary, saint Lazarus and other saints, will not be nine in total but limited to just four and the procession will not stop at any house of the community.
Said Fr Bosco, “It will just do the usual rounds across the streets surrounding the church and get back to the church by 9.30 p.m. We want to go by the regulations.”
The feast will be celebrated on Jan. 20, with Holy Mass celebrated at 5.15 pm, followed by a quick car procession and lowering of the flag.
This heritage feast was primarily started and sustained by a community of the parish and wholly funded too; today, an independent Trust manages it in conjunction with the local church.
In days gone by, this was a very grand, well-known feast with people from across the city and relatives of parishioners attending it in full. It still is grand but due to pandemic times, has had to be scaled down much.
– File photo used here
– Report by Juliana Sridhar
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