Spreading the Christmas Cheer, Year after Year

Meet Anthony Swamy (76), a Parish member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, on Tadiwalla Road. An out-and-out Punekar, Swamy has been living at D P Road for last 25 years.

Spreading the Christmas Cheer, Year after Year

Meet Anthony Swamy (76), a Parish member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, on Tadiwalla Road. An out-and-out Punekar, Swamyu00a0 has been living at D P Road for last 25 years.

"Pune is home to me and I don't want to leave it now," Swamy said, who originally hails from South India.

Partially paralysed for the past six years, he has not let his physical limitations curb his deep sense of faith nor his unusual creativity. Swamyu00a0 has been making cribs for Christmas for the past 30 years. He takes painstaking effort to make the elaborately-crafted cribs, mostly out of wax, straw, cardboard or even brown paper. This is set up on display every year in his colony at D P Road.

"The spirit of Christmas should not die and this is what I try to depict very year. In my own way, I try to spread the message of Jesus Christ. This whole process, though time-consuming, gives me immense peace and satisfaction", said Swamy.

God's gift
Dennis, his son, who has been witness to his creation every year, said, "It's actually an inspiration to see how Dad keeps up the tempo every year, even though his health has been delicate. It's God's grace that gives him the strength."

He added, "It's his offering to God, you could say."

Blazing an exquisite trail every Christmas, the subject of his creativity is different every year. In 2006, he had made a 27 ft candle, which housed the crib.

In 2007, it was the holy Velankanni Church, which was a replica of the Velankanni Church at Nagapattanam, 300 km from Chennai.u00a0u00a0

In 2008, his topic was The Star with a relevant message Peace on Earth. He used thermocol and had tried to make it simple and inspirational for it was the bright star of Bethlehem that guided the shepherds and the three Kings to baby Jesus in the manger.

Now in 2009, "He has depicted the holy sacrament - Monstrance, which is the vessel used in the Roman Catholic church to display the consecrated Eucharistic host," explained Dennis.u00a0

Apart from the fact that it is 15ft x 9ft the impact is just as striking as in all the previous years.

So, this Christmas too, we can hope and pray for peace.