Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Church has announced that it will hold candle-light services and a special service, this coming Sunday to express strong condemnation of the “most unwarranted and senseless terrorist attack’ in Sri Lanka.
Nearly 250 people were killed while over 500 are injured in series of blasts that took place in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on the Easter Day- April 21. The deadliest terror attack was condemned across the world.
Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Rev Fr Filipe Neri Ferrao, in a statement released has said that candle-light prayer or procession could be organized wherever possible, ‘to draw the attention of our people to the gruesome tragedy occurred in this our neighbouring country and to invite them to pray with us for peace and harmony throughout the world’.
“We are all well aware by now of the multiple bomb blasts that took place in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, targeting Churches and hotels and leaving scores of innocent human beings dead, many of whom had gathered to celebrate the greatest Feast of Life, life that was brought to us by Jesus, through His triumph over death and evil,” he said.
Following the incident, security around Churches and hotels in Goa was beefed up. Police are also directed to conduct beach patrolling to ensure safety and security of the people.
Archbishop has said that while expressing our strong condemnation of these most unwarranted and senseless terrorist attacks, we need to pray for those who were most affected by them: the souls of the deceased, some of them children who had made their First Holy Communion a few minutes earlier, the hundreds who are injured, quite a few of them on the brink of death, and the great number of families whose life has been thrown out of balance by this tragedy.
“The Latin Rite dioceses in India, under the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), have been advised to observe coming Sunday – the Divine Mercy Sunday – as a day of Prayer for the Church and the people of Sri Lanka. Let us join in, from Goa, and pray unitedly for those who were most affected by these attacks and for the restoration of peace and order in neighbouring Sri Lanka,” he said.
“During our Eucharistic celebrations on that day, April 28, 2019, our Pastors and those in charge of the liturgy are requested to add some prayers of the faithful for the departed souls, the injured and the families that were affected by these attacks and who are yet to come to terms with this most deplorable situation,” he said.
Archbishop has also urged the faithful to spend some time in prayer before the Eucharistic Lord, individually or in groups, so that the country of Sri Lanka may experience healing and receive the gift of peace.
