Calls ring out for justice for Easter Sunday terror and trauma
Church bells will ring and worshippers will pray for 269 departed souls — Sri Lankans including 82 children and 47 foreign nationals from 14 countries — to mark the church bombings by extremists on Easter Sunday three years ago on April 21.
The Archbishops House will mark the day with prayer and service.
The two churches that were targeted will chime its bells at 8.45 a.m. the time of the blasts, followed by a two-minute silence in honour of the dead. After which holy masses are to be held.
At St. Anthony's Church, Kochchikade the service will be held by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. Dignitaries will attend. Also, special lamps will be lit in memory of those who lost their lives.
At St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya, a procession will walk up to the 100 monuments where the victims lie buried, and light candles.
Also, a march has been planned at 3 p.m. from the church grounds to the Negombo town.
Parish Priest Fr. Niroshan Manjula is inviting everyone to join.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith will deliver a speech.
The Catholic Church has questioned the government-led investigations.
Fr Manjula said the wounds of the victims are deep and people want justice.
Three years since the blasts, people are still trying to come to terms, he said.
“There are around 33 people among the injured who are struggling to move on with their lives,’’ he said.
Some are paralysed, some maimed for life, and others need crutches to walk, or need wheel chairs.
“They all want answers to the questions to who was behind it and the reason behind it. They want
answers,’’ he said.
Around 500 were injured in the series of blasts in three Catholic churches and in three leading hotels and a guest house in Colombo on April 21, 2019. Nine suicide bombers attacked six sites.
Fr Manjula said the government had procrastinated on delivering justice to the victims.
“Now, after three long years, we are seeing the results of our prayers. We see protests everywhere,’’ he said.
At Katuwapitiya Church, a protest was held on March 2, following the Ash Wednesday services and also on April 10, Palm Sunday.
Meanwhile, a survivor of the bomb blast at Katuwapitiya St. Sebastian’s Church said that life for many victims have not come back to normal.
S. Wajira, a teacher of history said he is traumatised by the death of 32 children who died before his eyes. They were students in grade five to advanced level and he misses them.
He continues to teach at the church.
Mr. Wajira also was a victim and walks with a limp as a result of shrapnel.
He has to live with shrapnel embedded in his body.
“We demand justice and need answers to our questions who did it and why we were targeted.’’