I truly appreciated the International Shrine of St. Thomas Basilica, Santhome, Chennai, an all-embracing place where people of all religions, regions, races, and languages are welcome.
Ma’am/ sir,
Through the esteemed pages of the Eastern Mirror, let me share an excellent experience during my visit to the International Shrine of St. Thomas Basilica, Santhome, Chennai.
As I entered the church, I noticed people seated here and there amidst pin-drop silence. Some were absolutely alone, while others were in groups of two or three.
Everybody was silent. Some were praying with faint movements of their lips; some sat with their eyes closed, while others simply gazed unblinkingly towards Jesus Christ. One person was writing something in a notebook, equipped with a mobile phone and a pen.
Some would come, sit for a while, and leave silently, whereas others continued to sit there for a long time.
I truly appreciated such an all-embracing place where people of all religions, regions, races, and languages are welcome—a space where one can come, go, stay, and behave exactly as one wishes, without disturbing anyone, and where no one bothers you either.
I wondered what it would be like if all sectors of life also imitated this- nobody to dictate what I should say, think, read, write, or eat; whom I should pray to; or which slogan I should or should not raise. Everybody free to do whatever he or she likes, without causing pain to anybody.
Oh, what a beautiful society it could have been!
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
K. Chatterjee, Kolkata