St Elizabeth's in Coventry celebrated its 14th Multicultural Mass of the African Day yesterday (Sunday).

This is an annual event sponsored by St Elizabeth's parish community, having been started in 2006 by Fr Moses Pitya David, parish priest, to foster community cohesion and give support to several members of the parish who were then asylum seekers.

Most of these people were not able to go home or anywhere outside the UK because of their asylum cases, and their children were not able to give exciting news about their holiday when they returned to schools after the summer break.

The event was initially started as African Day, because the majority of people were African migrants devout in their faith.

African Day was a new dimension to the parish of St Elizabeth's and it didn't take long for it became a parish event!

Parishioners from various ethnic communities joined in and supported the event wholeheartedly.

It grew from strength to strength with beautiful singing provided by the choir known as 3CGs (Coventry Chorus Group), and delicious cultural foods and a BBQ provided by various communities in the parish hall and gardens.

As a result the event is no longer called African Day, but Multicultural Day, because of its involvement of so many diverse communities, not only from the parish of St Elizabeth's but people from all over England - particularly from Coventry, and especially St Mary's and Benedict's parishes who are our close partners in the choir.

This year's celebration was extra special because our parish community is raising funds to build a new community centre for all.

Over £450,000 needs to be raised, but we are very optimistic that with help we will raise the much-needed funds to build our new community centre.

Fr Moses