(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- H E Ali Javed, Ambassador of Pakistan to the sultanate, along with all officers of the mission and prominent Pakistanis, participated in a special evening at a local hotel to mark Christmas celebrations organised by the Urdu Language Congregation of the Church in Muscat on Friday.
Welcoming the guests, Reverend Zeresh Daniel, a Pakistani citizen, highlighted the contributions of the Christian community in Oman and gave a special sermon on the spirit and essence of Christmas. Church Choir and children marked the event with their heartwarming performances, embodying the traditional Christmas warmth and spirit.
The ambassador wished the Christian community across the sultanate a Merry Christmas and appreciated the Pakistani Christian community for their immense and substantive contributions to furthering Pak-Oman Friendship.
The ambassador presented 'Certificates of Appreciation' to prominent Christian community members including Reverend Daniel (community services), Yousaf Azad Gill (voluntary services), Perwaiz Masih (community services), Noel B Emmanuel (community and church services) and Sheheryar Tariq (academic excellence).
The event was unprecedented and exhibited the diversity of Pakistani presence in Oman and the harmony among their entire spectrum of faiths. It was concurred to hold a similar programme to mark Easter celebrations in 2018 and make special arrangements for overnight hosting of Pakistani Christians travelling from outside Muscat for the occasion.
There are 3,000 Pakistanis with Christian faith residing in Oman. Pakistani Christians have also established 'Church of Pakistan' in Salalah city, 1,100km south-east of Muscat, home to 70,000 Pakistanis.
The foundations for Protestant Church of Oman (PCO) was laid by Bishop of Lahore Thomas Valpy French, who, having shortly visited Oman in 1884, arrived in Muscat for his final missionary work on February 8, 1891 and passed away three months later on May 14 in Muttrah, where he is laid to rest.
MENAFN2712201701410000ID1096282712
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.