MUMBAI: For the first time, Christmas night services and New Year’s eve mass will be celebrated before 10 pm by all churches of the Christian community in Mumbai. This change of timings has been introduced by churches in adherence to the night curfew imposed from 22 December till 5 January 2021 from 11 pm to 6 am by the Maharashtra government to contain the spread of the Covid-19 infection.
Till now, Christmas services on 24 December were celebrated with a midnight mass starting post 10 pm or at midnight every year in all churches. The same drill was followed on 31 December every year where people of the Christian community would go to churches for New Year’s eve mass post 8 pm or 10 pm. But this year, churches of the city said that they would wrap up all Christmas mass services before 10 pm.
Father Frazer Mascarenhas, parish priest of St Peter’s Church, Bandra West, said, “We have scheduled two Christmas masses at 7 pm and 9 pm on 24 December. The New Year mass will be earlier at 8 pm so that we can complete the services latest by 10 pm following the night curfew restrictions imposed by the state.” In addition, this year, People of the Christian community will be allowed to attend Christmas mass only by invitation and registration.
Ornelius Saldanha, a youth leader of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (IC) Church, Borivali West said, “People who wish to attend mass need to register and collect a coupon to attend Christmas and New Year mass. People can register with zonal leaders in their respective sectors based on the area where they reside and collect their coupons.”
All standard operating procedures (SOPs) and social distancing measures related to Covid-19 will be followed by churches of Mumbai, said Father Nigel Barrett, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Bombay. Father Barrett said, “All Christmas and New Year mass services will be ending before 10 pm in all churches of Mumbai. All Covid-19 related SOPs and distancing measures will be followed by churches.”