Hyderabad:Churches marked Good Friday with solemn liturgies, Passion Plays and cantatas, even as showers forced several outdoor services indoors in the afternoon.
Worshippers, many dressed in white to symbolise purity, packed sanctuaries from morning “Way of the Cross” devotions to the evening Eucharistic rites. Several congregants reported an unusual red‑pink hue in the sky between 2.45 pm and 3 pm, a phenomenon they say recurs each Good Friday.
At Sacred Heart Church, Lalaguda, the main evening service was moved inside because of the rain. “The liturgy was reverent and well-attended despite the weather,” said parish priest Fr Jones Mettu. Similar adjustments were made at Our Lady of Health Shrine, Khairatabad, where morning Passion Play proceeded as planned but the evening Mass began late.
St Francis of Assisi Church, Ramnagar, celebrated its 60th Good Friday with a 7 am ‘Way of the Cross’ and a twilight veneration of the Cross. The church’s Passion Play — now in its 25th year — drew about 2,000 spectators, parish priest Fr Praveen Dsouza said.
In Kompally, New Life Assembly of God staged a Good Friday cantata after weeks of rehearsals. “The performance helps convey the message of the cross,” noted Pastor Younus Samuel.
Members of United Peoples Fellowship concluded thier 45-day fast with an evening service at Centenary Baptist Church, Secunderabad, where Rev Joy Cherian preached on the “Seven Last Words” of Jesus.
