More than 800 Sri Lankan kids put on an “exhibit" of the Year of Mercy (PHOTOS)

by Melani Manel Perera

Students attending catechism in two parishes near Colombo organised the event, showing Jesus’s works and miracles, the holy doors open across the country, and a full-scale reproduction of a Holy Door. With this exhibition, " children were able to express their talents."

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Some 800 Sri Lankan children organised an exhibit with 23 stalls, showing the love of Jesus, his deeds and miracles, scenes of forgiveness and mercy, a reproduction of the Holy Door in St Peter opened by Pope Francis.

The children, who attend catechism classes in two parishes north of Colombo, enthusiastically took part in the initiative to recreate the scenes from Jesus’s life to celebrate the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. They also got their parents and relatives involved in preparing the exhibition.

The event was held on Sunday at St Joseph's Parish in Kanuwana, in the town of Jael, a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo.

Launched two months ago, the project immediately found favour among the participants. Some 650 teenagers and children from the host parish, plus more than 170 pupils from a parish in Vishakawatta, always in the Archdiocese of Colombo, took part in the event.

"With this exhibition the children were able to express their talents," Fr Freddy Shanthikumar, director of the archdiocese youth activities, told AsiaNews.

The exhibit "was an important opportunity for students to learn “hands-on’ something more about the life of Jesus and his works,” said Fr Noel Nonis, parish priest of St Joseph's Church.

A group of girls – Dhanali, Kawushini, Judeena, Nethmini, Nawodhi and Dilini – reproduced a map of Sri Lanka cathedrals and basilicas in which the holy doors of mercy are open. "We made our parents help us, and we looked for the necessary information on the Internet," they said.

A second group – Asiri, Rose, Praveen, Naveen, Manilka and Jude – built a replica of a Holy Door with pieces of wood, paper towels and wood pulp (pictured).