St Jude’s cathedral echoed with "Allah-o-Akbar" (God is greatest), as the fasting Muslims offered evening prayers while the Christian parishioners hurriedly arranged food for them on the tables.

Over the past few decades, chants of "Hallelujah" have been filling the air in the Catholic cathedral situated in the footnote of a dry hillock in Karachi's North Nazimabad area.

Miles away from the bustling central metropolis, the lesser known Catholic cathedral set a towering example of interfaith harmony.

On Thursday evening, it arranged an iftar dinner for the Imams (prayer leaders) of different mosques and local leaders of several religious and political groups.

“This is the holy month of Ramazan, a time of blessings,” the parish priest Father Augustin Soares said as he welcomed nearly two dozen Muslim religious and political leaders.

“So, I thought we should arrange an iftar gathering for our Muslims brothers, who we live with in the area, in the month of fasting,” the 70-year-old slender-framed Goan parish priest added.

St Jude’s cathedral is located in the Hussain D’Silva Town, once a posh township named after two Muslim-Christian friends and town planners.

For decades, the large dusty hillock was a scenic feature of the township largely inhabited by the Goan Christians and was a romantic dating place for young couples.

Over the past few decades, the peaceful neighborhood saw an influx of religious outfits, mostly those fleeing the hilly region of the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa torn by militancy in the post-Afghanistan war following 9/11.

For them, the large range of the hillock — from Orangi Town to the Manghopir periphery — offered the same living environment as back home.

It triggered armed clashes between the Pashtun living atop the hill and the Christians living below in the adjoining Pahar Gunj slum.

Gradually, the Goans first left the township and then the country. But Father Soares stayed back and is still living in the cathedral.

On the occasion of the silver jubilee anniversary of his ordination, Father Soares decided to celebrate in a different way — with the neighbourhood Muslims.

The gesture sent a big message, as Cardinal Joseph Coutts — named one of the 14 new cardinals by Pope Francis last year — also joined in.

Besides the clerics, the local leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Awami National Party, the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jamiat Ulema Pakistan-Fazl, and others attended the gathering.

Donning a long white gown and wearing a hand-knitted red cap akin to that worn by Muslims for prayer, the country representative for Rome humbly sat in the middle of the table along with Father Augustin Soares and Father Sualeh Diego.

“Sometimes, we live together, but don’t find time to meet and talk to each other,” the soft-spoken cardinal said as he opened his speech after the iftar.

“However, when we meet up, we realise that we are all creatures of Khuda Tala (the Lord),” he added, appreciating parish priest Father Soares' idea.

“We all belong to this land. We are all Pakistanis. We all shares each other’s happiness and worries,” he added smilingly, underscoring the need for forging interfaith harmony in the country.

The meetup offered a rare opportunity for clerics and leaders from the two sides to engage with one another.

Dil Muhammad, the local union council’s chairman belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party, was all praise for the initiative.

“Today’s gathering may be small, but it sends out a big message not only to this area, but to the city and to the whole country,” he remarked.

“I was just a two-year-old child, when I came here with my parents. I have not seen such a gathering in 50 years of my life,” he said as he recalled the years spent living with the Christians.

“It will send out a positive message,” Dil Muhammad added, thanking the St Jude’s priest for hosting a dinner for the fasting Muslims of the neighbourhood.

Resolving to continue the initiative in future, the political leaders promised to invite, in turn, Cardinal Joseph Coutts and his parishioners on their religious eves to jointly celebrate with them.

“Bacha Khan has taught us one thing. Humanity!” Niaz Khan, the district president of the Awami National Party, told his hosts.

“We are one. We will also invite you all to such programmes,” he added.

Thanking his guests, Cardinal Joseph Coutts appreciated the spirit demonstrated by the Muslim clerics and political leaders to promote interfaith harmony.

“I pray to the Lord to bless today’s gathering so that we all learn that we are brothers and are ready to help each other in every difficult time,” he concluded.

Header image: (L-R) Father Augustin Soares, Cardinal Joseph Coutts and Father Sualeh Diego are pictured sitting together at the table.