Saint Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Negombo city, unveiled a stone monument inscribed with the names of 114 people who were killed in the attack on 21 April, during the re-consecration ceremony that included Holy Mass.
The coordinated attacks on three churches and four upscale hotels killed 259 people and injured some 500.
Two of them were Catholic churches – Saint Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo and Saint Sebastian’s Church in Negombo. Another blast at the Evangelical Zion Church in the eastern coastal city of Batticaloa also claimed numerous lives.
Most of the casualties were at Saint Sebastian’s Church.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith the Archbishop of Colombo presided over the Mass and the re-consecration service with a large number of people, including the victims’ families, in attendance.
The Sri Lankan navy helped rebuild the church.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the Catholic Church has received about €1.77 million in donations locally and from around the world, which will be used to support orphaned children, educate affected children, help the families of the victims and the physical and mental rehabilitation of the survivors. A part of the fund will also help rebuild the Evangelical Zion Church.
ENDS
Source: Vatican News
