By Claudette Miranda and Vimala Savarimuthu
Hyderabad, Dec 4, 2024: The archdiocese of Hyderabad has prepared for the Jubilee 2025 with a 90-minute program that highlighted current problems in the world.
The program on the Jubilee 2025 theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” was organized by the Daughters of St Paul in collaboration with Jesuit Father Dusi Ravi Shekhar, the Pauline Cooperators and the Archdiocesan Jubilee committee.
The deanery level program began with St Mary’s Basilica, Secunderabad, on November 23 and at St Joseph’s Cathedral Gunfoundry the following day. On November 29, the program was presented at St Theresa’s Church, Sanath Nagar, Holy Family Church, Trimulgherry and Infant Jesus Shrine at Emjala.
More than 500 people, watched the program of music, dance, drama and visual clippings at each place. In Hyderabad, Cardinal Poola Anthony, Archbishop of Hyderabad, was among the viewers.
The program began with a prayer dance, followed by the miracles of Jesus, interspersed with short dramas on the present-day social evils with visual clippings. The traditional drama dance form Bharatnatyam was used to enact scenes from the life of Jesus such as calming the troubled sea, healing the lame and giving sight to the blind and others.
Each drama lasting a few minutes depicted the suffering in the modern world. The actors acted out the pain of the elderly, lonely parents, exploited workers and youngsters gripped by addictions.
The program also included an audio-visual presentation on the Bull of Indiction “Hope does not disappoint,” prepared by Daughters of Sr Claudette Miranda.
The program ended with each dancer bringing to the stage a lighted lamp, each symbolizing the light of hope. Then all artistes came to the stage, carrying placards that highlighted the main themes. They also sang the official hymn of the Jubilee 2025.
“The dance performances were enthralling and deeply touching,” Cardinal Poola said.
The program was FatherSekhar’s brainchild. He had tutored the artists from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, and Chennai in Tamil Nadu, ten years ago at the Jesuit-managed Kaladarshini Institute run in Vijayawada.