‘May God keep them in His
shadow’
By Susan Brinkmann
CS&T Correspondent
Faith is important to Pakistani Christians, especially because they come
from a predominantly Muslim nation where recent political and religious
tensions are a pressing concern for many. The community finds its strength
in God and in coming together to share their culture, customs, traditions
and religious rites.
Hundreds of Pakistani Christians gathered at St. William Church in Philadelphia
on Saturday evening, Dec. 15, to celebrate the Christmas season with prayer
and caroling followed by a traditional Pakistani feast.
“Christmas is a great celebration for me and all Pakistani Christians,”
said Father Dominic Isaac, Archdiocesan Coordinator of the Pakistani Apostolate.
“The Pakistani Christians in Philadelphia originate from different
provinces, cities, villages and ethnic backgrounds, but they are very
much united in faith and in their lives. I try to unite all Catholic and
non-Catholic Pakistanis twice a year, at Christmas and on Good Friday.”
The ecumenical service included worshipers and clergy from St. William
Parish, the Pakistani New Life Church, the Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia,
the Indo-Pak Baptist Church and the Assembly of Believers Church.
It began at 6:30 p.m. with a procession and singing by the United Church’s
youth choir. More than 10 different choirs sang carols in their native
languages of Urdu and Punjabi during the service. Afterward, the congregation
enjoyed a feast of traditional Pakistani cuisine which included Seekh
Kabab, Chicken Korma, Alu Palik, Chana Palao and other delicacies.
“This is a nice Advent preparation as a whole community before Christmas
in order to bring more peace, love, forgiveness and unity into our families
as well as society,” said Father Isaac, who began working with the
community five years ago as the first Pakistani priest in the Archdiocese.
“I feel this kind of united carol singing at Christmas shows real
Christian spirit within the Catholic and non-Catholic denominations.”
The community gets together quite often, says Arif Dean of St. William
Parish and the owner of Penn Staffing Services LLC, who attended the dinner
along with his wife Josephine and three daughters.
“Every month we have some kind of get-together — a birthday,
wedding, memorial service or a death, and our people wear their cultural
clothes, eat cultural food and sing hymns in Urdu,” Dean said. “It
reminds me of home and our culture.”
Raised Roman Catholic in Islamabad-Rawalpindi, he immigrated to the United
States 18 years ago and wants to give his children the best of both cultures.
“I want to keep my children in the Catholic faith and live within
a community where my children can be exposed to both cultures, American
and Pakistani, because each culture is unique,” he said.
He also appreciates the freedom of America, especially in light of the
current tensions in his homeland. “The whole world knows about the
political and religious issues in Pakistan. There is persecution among
the religious groups and denominations. I always pray for my family, relatives,
friends and for the entire country. May God keep them in His shadow and
bring peace to the country.”