By C V Joseph
Chennai, September 21, 2019: A Franciscan NGO serving in Chennai celebrated the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi meeting the Sultan on September 21.
Nesakkaram (Reaching), the NGO which celebrates the “Women Cultural Fest’’ annually, decided to commemorate this year the great historical event of the Catholic saint’s encounter with the Sultan to spread peace and dialogue among people of various religions.
Nesakkaram is registered under Street Elfins Educational Society (SEEDS).
Speaking on the occasion, Nesakkaram director Brother Joseph Raj said the NGO is committed to inter-religious harmony besides doing a number of social activities. The Nesakkaram would organize similar events in the future to promote peace and harmony in society, the Brother added.
Saint Francis of Assisi, in the time of Crusades, braved the Church establishments of his time and took on a peace expedition to meet the Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil to propose the end of war and to facilitate peace between the two warring factions.
The Franciscan NGO wants to honor Muslim women and explain to them the deep respect and reverence that Saint Francis had shown to the sultan, Brother Raj explained.
According to Franciscan spokesperson Bother Praveen, Nesakkaram coordinates 143 women Self-Help Groups.
“These women hail from different religious, cultural and economic backgrounds. Their thirst for growth and progress in life have brought them together as a group to save money and address the needs of the family,” Brother Praveen said.
According to him, the women, despite coming from various religious backgrounds, manifest a great respect toward one another in the group and create an atmosphere of a family within each group.
The Muslim women numbering around 100 were escorted to the stage as the Parai ((Tamil cultural folk dance with music) resounded its beats of welcome.
Father Charles Bernard, vicar provincial of OFM Franciscans in India, explained the importance of the anniversary and its relevance and impact in life today. He called on the gathering of around 2,000 women to promote peace, dialogue and harmony.
Father Praveen, the minister provincial, unveiled the picture depicting the encounter between Saint Francis and the Sultan.
All the Muslim women on the stage were honored with a white shawl as a sign of peace and harmony. The women gathering prayed the Peace Prayer attributed to Saint Francis. Everyone went hom carrying the same peace prayer.
Fatima, a Muslim participant, said, “It was a special feeling to be honored with a white towel. While there could be prejudices based on religion, a gesture such as this, encourages us to respect one another.”
Abibu, another woman participant, said that she was “pleasantly surprised” to know that a Christian priest daringly went to meet the Muslim ruler that eventually led to peace.