Denominations offer New Year blessing through religious service |06 January 2017

In his New Year message to the nation, President Danny Faure expressed the need to “reinforce our national unity and follow a spiritual and moral compass that will give direction and enlighten us on the meaning of our lives”.

It is in this spirit that the Seychelles Interfaith Council (Sifco) and its members joined President Faure, Vice-President Vincent Meriton, government ministers, judges, the Attorney General and the general public in a thanks giving religious service at the International Conference Centre (ICCS) yesterday evening. Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) could not be present as they were still in session, debating on the 2017 budget.

It was a concert of hymns, gospel music, prayers, poetic readings and even rap or slam in various languages as the different denominations prayed for the country and people and conveyed a message of happiness, friendship, good health, unity, freedom, peace and prosperity.

“We are all brothers and sisters from the same source of life,” echoed the Buddhists, while the Anglicans dedicated the country and its leaders to God and asked him to bless them and give them the spirit of discernment for the welfare of the people.

“May peace and love prevail in Seychelles,” the Brahma Kumaris prayed.

Other religions or denominations which took part in the service included Hindu, Zoroastrian, Roman Catholic, Islam, Baha’i and the Seychelles Evangelistic Alliance (SEA). They were joined by the Angels’ Choir and the National Choirs.

At the end of the show, the two choirs joined together in a grand finale of Essay Quatre’s ‘Ofer kanmarad lanmitye’.

As the song’s lyrics go, “annou viv dan linite, annou ofer kanmarad lanmitye pour nou viv konman frer”! (Let us live in unity, offer friendship to one another for us to live as brothers).

The accompanying photos show highlights of the religious service.