Cardinal Gracias spends time with street dwellers ‎

(Vatican Radio)  In the spirit of Christmas  and New Year, the parish of the Indian Archdiocese of Bombay on Sunday regaled local street dwellers and their families with some pleasant moments of warmth and belonging away from the harsh realities of life on the pavement.  The Jan. 3 event at the Cathedral Parish of the Holy Name in the Fort area organized by the local St. Vincent ‎de Paul Society included games, snacks, lunch and ‎spot prizes.  The youngsters danced shouted and freaked out to Bollywood music with gay abandon, some of them exhibiting thier vocal talents. Cardinal Oswald Gracias who joined the party later, made the street dwellers feel at home, going about freely among the people, greeting and blessing them.  He led a general prayer, in Hindi, reminding everyone that Christ came into our world to bring peace, love and hope and that, as a family of brothers and sisters they celebrate it especially at Christmas. He prayed that the parents of the children would be able to find work and that the children themselves would get the opportunities to move forward in life.  He hoped that the New Year bring them success, happiness and faith.   Cardinal Gracias himself joined in one of the games, to the delight of his guests.   After lunch he handed out gift hampers to each family. Blankets, sweets and goodies were given as parting presents to the guests as they returned to the harsh reality of the streets.