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Displaced Sri Lankan Catholics yearn for Lenten services

Confiscated residential land near church makes it difficult to walk through jungles for Stations of the Cross
Displaced Sri Lankan Catholics yearn for Lenten services

People from Mullikulam who were displaced during war rest while walking through the jungle in this ucanews.com file photo.

 

Published: February 23, 2016 10:37 AM GMT
Updated: March 24, 2017 04:26 AM GMT

Residential land confiscated by the Sri Lankan military is making it difficult for Catholics from Mannar Diocese to attend their local church for special services during Lent.

"The military during the final stages of the war told us to vacate our homes around the church and that we could return soon but we have never been allowed to return and we all became displaced," said Vincentamma Croos, a 81-year-old parishioner of Our Lady of Assumption Church from Mullikulam.

People have to walk more than four kilometers through dense jungle to attend Sunday Mass but now during Lent it is difficult to attend Stations of the Cross, Benedictions and other daily special evening prayer services, she added.

Our Lady of Assumption Church in Mullikulam was built in 1786. Mullikulam is an agriculture and fishing area of about 500 hectares. Inhabitants there have permanent title deeds but said they have been displaced due to the establishment of a naval base in the area.

The war that began in 1983 between the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Tamil Tigers ended in 2009. According to the United Nations over 40,000 civilians died during the last stages of the war. The Mannar Diocese was hit hard by years of war as government and rebels snatched lands from each other.

Father Anton Thavaraja, parish priest of the Mullikulam church and four other churches, said people come to the church even on Sundays with many difficulties.

"Earlier there were many restrictions with people only being allow to visit the church at a time specified by the military. We had Sunday Mass at 11 a.m. but elderly people find it difficult to return home after Mass in the heat of the sun," the priest said.

Although the Mass time has been changed to 9.15 a.m, "it is still difficult to organize Lenten practices in the church since people live very far from the church," he said. There is also no public transport or other infrastructural facilities in the area, the priest added.

"During Lent we want to conduct the Way of the Cross but the elderly can't come to church by walking four kilometers. Therefore we have the service near where they live now in the forest," Father Thavaraja told ucanews.com.

Moreover, children too miss out on special catechism classes and Lenten prayer services as they are not able to trek through the jungle during the week.

"We have sent many petitions to government officials including the president to get back our lands but still there is no positive answer," said the priest.

Various governments since the end of the war have promised several times to give back the lands but it has not happened. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former defense secretary also promised to give back the lands of the parishioners but it did not happen.

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