Christmas plans that changed

As Father Asiri looked at the congregation before him as he was finishing his sermon on the last Sunday of November, he saw the many different types of persons that formed his parish in which he had spent only two weeks yet.

- BY ALGI WIJEWICKREMA

Having served as an Assistant Parish Priest in two other parishes for three years in each, he had made his plans for the parish he was posted to before he arrived. So, he was ready to announce his first project to the parishioners and announced it after he had completed his sermon.

When he was first welcomed to this new parish, he noticed how ill-maintained the church was. Paint was peeling off walls, the doors and windows looked tired, too, and with the first rains that came down in the very first week of his arrival, the wet floor in many places inside the church told him of the condition of the roof. His appeal therefore was that the parishioners should come forward with financial support to prepare the church for Christmas. In addition, he described a long-term plan for a chapel for the Eucharistic Lord, which is how Father Asiri described the Blessed Sacrament Chapel he had in his mind.

Being a methodical person, he announced that there would be special box kept in the Mission House for those who wish to make contributions in cash and a special book in which others could write the sums of money they wished to contribute later.

While there were quite a few who seemed interested in showing their keenness to make donations that Sunday, Fr. Asiri assessed that the second Sunday after the announcement will be the better day to see what kind of support there was for this, his first project in the new parish.

Since there was hardly any time on the Sunday following, for him to look at the book or count the contributions in the special box, he sat down on Monday to look at the response to his appeal. As far as he was concerned it was as expected, with the monetary contributions being average, the pledges were better. With salary advances to come for some and bonuses in the case of some others, it was very much as expected.