KARACHI: For over 70 years now the St Anthony’s Church on McNeil Road has been holding an Annual Fundraiser Mela on a Sunday in June, which people of all religions, race, class and ages try not to miss despite the hot weather.

It was the same this Sunday, too, though most people including the priests and nuns were all seen enjoying ice cream or cold drinks with extra ice.

Reverend Father Arthur Charles, the parish priest at St Anthony’s, told Dawn that the funds generated from the annual event are primarily used for medical aid, followed by buying food rations for the needy, irrespective of their religion or caste.

“Whatever is left only after that is partially used for the church,” Father Charles explained, adding that every Wednesday, St Anthony’s Church also distributes non-perishable items among the needy.

Father Charles says funds are used for medical aid and food rations for the needy regardless of their faith

Meanwhile, Father Ashir Iftikhar, one of senior church priests, said that the annual fundraiser at St Anthony’s has been an annual feature since as far as he can remember. “Its history goes back to over 70 years,” he said.

Then it was no surprise then to meet the sweet couple Sylvester Gill and Rita Gill, who have been setting up stall here without fail every year since 1982. “We have always found biryani, chicken as well as beef, as a popular seller,” said Sylvester. That was exactly what they were selling, along with bun kabab.

Mrs Gill said that they had all agreed about item prices during a church meeting a week prior to the fundraiser. “So all biryani plates, whether you buy from us or any other stall here, will cost you Rs250 only,” she informed.

As the name suggested, a Fair Price Shop was selling different items such as sugar, rice, lentils, ghee, soap, shampoo, bed sheets, towels, and also sweets and bakery items at very reasonable prices.

A stall named Lal Qila had Clara D’Souza and Tina David selling, along with the stuffed toys and handmade bags, homemade mango pickle, chutney, spring rolls, shami kabab, chapli kabab, brownies, noodles, and biryani of course, along with a special Goan delicacy called sorpotel made of beef offal. The prices at the stall ranged from Rs100 to Rs300.

Still, the Assorted Food stall, chiefly managed by Leslie Rodrigues with friends and family members as volunteers, was the biggest stall having almost every food item available at all the other stalls, and more, because they were also flipping crispy dossas with various fillings folded in.

Food items were not the only best sellers at the event, mind you, there were clothing items such as aprons, nighties, shirts and T-shirts which were also selling like hot cakes. At the Filipino Community stall, they also sold plants besides food and clothing items.

More foreign presence with stalls at the fundraiser included the Columban Missionary Sisters of South Korea.

Earlier, the Archbishop of Karachi, Benny Mario Travas, the chief guest on the occasion, declared the Fundraiser Mela open at around 11am to then hurry to his other duties, it being a Sunday. Later, the smiling Cardinal Joseph Coutts also visited the stalls while sipping chilled blueberry juice and appreciating the crowd and the work of the volunteers.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2025