Thousands of people cutting across religious affiliations have taken part in an annual Christmas music festival in India’s commercial capital Mumbai. Catholic parishes and members of the Methodist Church and the Church of North India participated in the Prabhu Yeshu Janmotsav (Lord Jesus’s Birthday) festival on the evening of Dec. 8. “In its 59th year, the Prabhu Yeshu Janmotsav has grown into a beacon of unity and joy, bringing together people from all walks of life,” Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay told the gathering at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai. This special occasion inspires us to be “messengers of peace and goodwill in a world yearning for healing and reconciliation,” the cardinal said.

A Family Where Faith Inspired Six Sisters to Religious Life
In the mist-covered hills of Venappara in Kerala, the Kallidukkil family became a remarkable witness to faith and vocation. Thomas and Thresiamma Kallidukkil raised their


