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Events at churches today for third anniversary of Easter attacks 

20 Apr 2022

 
  • Local Vatican Apostolic Nuncio, victims’ families, diplomats to attend Kochchikade service
  • Cardinal to make special statement
  BY Buddhika Samaraweera Events have been organised at churches across the country, mainly at the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya and the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, both of which were targets of the Easter Sunday terror attacks on 21 April 2019, to commemorate the third anniversary of the said bombings, which falls today (21). Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Vatican Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka Brian Udaigwe, other religious clergy, family members of the victims of the terror attacks, and foreign diplomats are to attend the commemorative event at the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade. The event, scheduled to begin at 8.30 a.m. today, will include two minutes of silence in remembrance of the victims of the attacks, as well as Catholic and other religious services. In addition, Archbishop Ranjith and other guests will address the public and make special statements, the Catholic Church said in a statement. Meanwhile, another event has been planned at the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya at 3.30 p.m. today to commemorate the tragedy. The Colombo Archbishop is also scheduled to attend the event. A special service will be held there and, later, the family members of the victims will proceed in a procession to the statue of Joseph Vaas near the Negombo bus stand. In addition, the Catholic Church stated that various other commemorations have been organised in churches throughout the island. On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three Churches (the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, and the Zion Church in Batticaloa) and three luxury hotels in Colombo (Cinnamon Grand, The Kingsbury, and Shangri-La) were targeted in a series of co-ordinated suicide bombings.  Later that day, another two bomb explosions took place at a house in Dematagoda and the Tropical Inn Lodge in Dehiwala. A total of 269 people, excluding the bombers, were killed in the bombings, including about 45 foreign nationals, while at least 500 were injured. All eight of the suicide bombers in the attacks were Sri Lankan citizens associated with the National Thowheed Jama’ath organisation founded by one of the suicide bombers, Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Zahran alias Zahran Hashim, who self-detonated at the Shangri-La hotel.


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