KOCHI: The famed St Antony's church at Kaloor here has started offering Sunday prayers in Hindi, to cater to the spiritual needs of Christians among the migrant workforce.

Ernakulam is home to over 20 lakh migrant labourers and this is for the first time that a church is offering regular holy mass in Hindi in the city limits. The mass in Hindi will be offered every Sunday at 3pm.

"The decision to start Sunday mass in Hindi was taken in the last synod of the Verapoly archdiocese. A commission to study and support the migrants was also formed. The first Hindi mass was offered on November 29. We have also decided to offer free medical and legal assistance to the migrants," said Berly Earnest, secretary, Verapoly migrants' commission.

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A panel of expert doctors and lawyers has already been formed. "They will be given assistance to obtain medical insurance coverage and the best possible medical treatment in case of emergency," Earnest said.

A Hindi church choir has also been floated. Prayers will be offered by priests who have worked in central and north India.

The migrant labourers are mostly engaged in construction or employed in manufacturing units.

The church authorities have already contacted neighbouring parishes and priests to give publicity to the Hindi mass. "Since these migrant labourers are a floating population, it is yet to be seen how many of them would attend the mass," Earnest said.

In Ernakulam district, holy mass for migrant labourers is a offered by various churches like St Joseph Church, Njarallur, St George Church, Perumbavoor and Franciscan Clarist Congregation Generalate, Aluva. In Perumbavoor, the holy mass is offered in Oriya language. Special mass in Hindi is offered in various parts of the district during Christmas.