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Over one thousand five hundred children from twenty-six churches headed a massive procession of children and elders marking the annual Children’s Rally of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India held at the Pandatheruppu Church Saturday September 13, 2008.
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| People along the wayside were appreciative that the church had opted to have traditional nathaswaram and thavil music to accompany the procession. The folks of the community, hailed the event as a welcome respite from all the tensions of the civil war in the north. |
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| In the church’s calendar, the Children’s Rally is the most popular event of the year in respect of children and the rally is held in a different church each year. This brings the children into contact with the various parishes, an opportunity valued by the member communities. |
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| The fact that the rally was held at Pandatheruppu is of great significance in view of certain recent events and the support of the people of the area was spontaneous. JDCSI, no doubt, is held with firm affection and Pandatheruppu is one of the early areas of missionary activity and the girls’ school remains reminiscent as a great landmark of mission education. |
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| The rally began with a worship service at which a sermon of reconciliation was preached by the Rt Rev Dr Daniel Thiagarajah in which he called up people to return to the fold of the Lord. This was followed by a variety programme at which many children participated and finally a fellowship lunch. |
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| The new leadership of the JDCSI is being increasingly recognized as a breath of fresh new hope for the country and Bishop Daniel Thiagarajah is committed to pursue the ideal of unity in diversity in all aspects of life in Sri Lanka. |
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| Among those who participated in the procession were the former head of the JDCSI, the Rt Rev Dr S Jebanesan and Mr M A Sumanthiran, the Deputy President of the Methodist Conference of Sri Lanka. |
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