ASIA/PAKISTAN - Lent and Ramadan are celebrated together at St. Elizabeth Catholic Hospital in Hyderabad

Hyderabad (Agenzia Fides) - The fact that in 2025 the Christian Lent and the Muslim Ramadan coincide was seen as an opportune moment to promote dialogue and exchange: Christians and Muslims in a time of spiritual reflection. The goal is to reconnect with oneself and recognize the value of one's fellow human beings, every person one knows, regardless of their faith, culture, or language. This also happened at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Hyderabad, a Catholic healthcare facility known for its leadership and excellence in the Pakistani province of Sindh.
To fully experience Lent and Ramadan, the Catholic and Muslim staff of the hospital and the students of the adjacent Midwifery school have decided to meet every Friday for a shared time of reflection and to celebrate the moment of breaking the fast together. In the dining room of the dormitory of the St. Elizabeth Midwifery School, Catholics and Muslims on duty meet to share a modest meal of rice and vegetables, dates, and fruit.
"It is much more than just a shared dinner. Experiencing these moments together, each in their own faith, is an initiative that strengthens the human, spiritual, and professional bonds between people. In this way, the hospital becomes a place of work and service to humanity, where dialogue is practiced, mutual respect is deepened, and the deep motivations of one's faith are sought in order to fully live the mission one fulfills," Father Robert McCulloch, an Australian missionary of the Missionary Society of St. Columban and a member of the hospital's board of directors, told Fides.
In a Catholic institution inspired by the values and principles of faith and service, Catholic employees fast every year during Lent and participate in the Stations of the Cross. Given the increasing presence of doctors, nurses, and staff of the Muslim faith working at the hospital, they now wanted to share this experience with other faithful. "It is an extraordinary testimony of faith and openness to others. St. Elizabeth's Hospital and its Catholic and Muslim staff are thus at the forefront of manifesting and promoting religious harmony in Hyderabad," said Father McCulloch.
Work continues at the hospital on the construction of the "St. Elizabeth Palliative Care Day Centre," a special unit that will provide palliative care for cancer and terminally ill patients. Such care is already offered free of charge by the hospital through a home service in the region and will soon be available within the hospital as well. The new inpatient center for such patients will be the first in all of Pakistan. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 24/3/2025)

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