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Churches across Goa to have more Masses on Christmas day to ensure no faithful left out | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: Churches are planning additional Masses, putting up screens in church compounds and will be going to smaller chapels to celebrate Christmas Mass, just to ensure that all faithful get an opportunity to join in the feast while staying safe.
A well-wisher decided to lend a screen to Our Lady of Succour Church, Socorro for the occasion after more than 200 people signed up for the midnight Mass in the 200 capacity church that can only occupy 50 inside with social distancing.
“We will place another 100-200 chairs — all spaced out — in our garden. Whatever is being celebrated inside the church will be projected to those seated outside. Many people prefer attending midnight Mass and we cannot tell them not to attend,” parish priest Fr Santana Carvalho told TOI.
The midnight Mass has been brought forward to 9.30pm and additional Masses are being celebrated on Christmas morning with a special Mass for senior citizens.
Those who contracted Covid recently or travelled outside Goa over the past two weeks are being asked to stay away from services.
Considering the situation, many parishes are restricting services to two from a family, strictly on registration basis, and holding special Masses during the Christmas week exclusively for seniors above 65 and children below the age of 10.
In large parishes, like Navelim and Vasco, priests have decided to celebrate Masses not only in the church, but also in all the chapels in the area.
“Christmas Mass is otherwise not celebrated in chapels as everyone attends services in the church. Since since it is not possible to accommodate everyone in church with social distancing, we have decided to increase the number of Masses and reach out to as many people as we can by celebrating Christmas Masses in chapels as well this year,” parish priest of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Navelim, Fr Arlino De Mello said.
In smaller parishes, like the one on the island of Chorao, devotees are being allotted Masses ward wise, with services being celebrated simultaneously in the church and chapels.
“We decided to make this sacrifice and celebrate more Masses for Christmas so that nobody is excluded,” assistant parish priest Fr Americo Rodrigues says.
All Christmas programmes for children and the youth are being done away with. Few have moved online.
In Socorro, not to dampen the spirits of the children, the church has planned online singing and Christmas card-making competitions.

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Broke Swiggy guy walks 3 km to deliver food, Social media helps him find better job. Heartwarming story is viral

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Social media can be a wondrous place at times. While on most days, its ugly face is on display, on days like today, it sets examples of the power of kindness. In a social media post, a LinkedIn user shared how a delivery executive, in need of money and a better job, bagged one after the users on the platform came together to help the person out.

Priyanshi Chandel, Marketing Manager at tech company Flash, shared an incident about a Swiggy delivery agent who had come to deliver food at her residence. When she asked the late and out-of-breath delivery person, identified by her as Sahil Singh, about what happened, he told her that he had no transport and had to walk 3 km to deliver the order.

He also said that he was out of money and had nothing left to pay his landlord too. Singh told her that he was not looking for money from her but requested her to help him bag a job. He said that he had a degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering, and had worked with Byju’s and Ninjacart before. He had to move back to Jammu during the pandemic.

“I have not eaten for a week, just drinking water and tea to get by. I am not asking for anything, please if you can find me a job, I used to make 25k before, I am 30 years old, my parents are getting old and I can’t keep asking for money from them (sic),” Chandel quoted saying.

She also shared his marksheets and contact number for people to help. His details shared show that he is a 2018 BTech graduate from Mewar University, and completed his schooling from the Jammu and Kashmir state board.

After she shared the details, the comments section was filled with people who stepped up to help. While someone recharged his Yulu account so that he did not have to walk around to deliver food, someone offered a place to stay. Many offered to help him with his applications, while some offered jobs too.

Chandel, later on put an update on the post, and said that he received a job.

However, so far it is unclear what job he has received.

2023 has so far been a year of job losses, an eventual outcome of the pandemic and increased hiring by tech companies. For instance, the SSC MTS 2023 recruitment exam that took place in Uttar Pradesh in May saw over 55 lakh applications for Group D jobs. Numerous candidates who applied for positions such as peon, watchman, gardener had educational backgrounds like BTech, MBA, and Master’s degrees.

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Goa CM, NRI Commissioner writes to MoEF for help in safe return of Goans from Ukraine

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Panaji: Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to help in safe return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

Sawant tweeted “we are concerned about the Goans in Ukraine who are considering to return to India in the light of ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. I request Union Minister for External Affairs @DrSJaishankar ji for help in the safe return of Goans. I am keeping track of the situation.”

The chief minister’s tweet comes hours after Goa’s NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar wrote to the Union External Affairs ministry seeking help in return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

“Many Goans are currently residing in Ukraine due to various purposes including higher studies and due to the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, I have started receiving requests for help and assistance from them to return back to India,” Sawaikar wrote.

The Commissioner further wrote in the letter that advisories have already been issued by the Ministery of External Affairs to Indians currently in Ukraine and our Indian Mission in Kyiy is currently handling the matter.

“Striking note of urgency, the Government of India has recently asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital , to leave the Eastern European nation amid it’s raising tensions with Russia,” the letter reads.

Sawaikar wrote that the Goans in Ukraine are in touch with this office as they are anxious to temporarily return till the situation normalizes.

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Election Commission announces polling dates and counting days for Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 states

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On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 States, namely, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While briefing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra informed that the elections in the poll-bound States will commence from February 10, 2022, to March 7, 2022. Elections in the State of Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in 7 phases, followed by Manipur with 2 phases. Elections in Goa, Uttarkhand and Punjab will be conducted in a single phase.

According to the Election Commission of India, the votes will be counted on March 10, 2022. ECI informed that all physical campaigning will be ceased until January 15, 2022, in light of the rising cases of Coronavirus.

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