Christmas play promotes values in Pakistan

(December 22, 2012) Sacred Heart Cathedral High School in Lahore, Pakistan, on Wednesday staged a theatrical production that addressed ongoing challenges of violence and prejudice in the country as part of the school’s 60th anniversary celebration. The play, “Once upon a Christmas,” used the holiday season as a framework for discussing the “pain and suffering” in society caused by sectarian and political violence and class prejudice, and was attended by more than 700 parents of the school’s mostly Muslim students. Bishop Sebastian Shah of Lahore, the guest of honour, told attendees that the school’s mission is to promote human values and help students become balanced citizens. “The teachers must carry on the vision of the missionaries,” he said. Tracy Wylde, a teacher at Sacred Heart, said theatre provides a good opportunity for Muslims and Christians alike to learn from one another in a mutually supportive environment. She added that Christian schools in the country have become popular among Muslim families for the quality of their education. Belgian Father George Blondel Emrick, who introduced Urdu language service in the Sacred Heart Cathedral, founded the school in 1951. The administration of the school was later taken over by Dutch brothers and Dominican nuns.