Nigeria: Church “always full” two years after massacre
Two years later, the terrorists suspected of murdering more than 40 Catholics on Pentecost Sunday in Nigeria have not yet been charged.
The parish priest at St. Francis Xavier’s Catholic Church in Nigeria, where over 40 worshippers were murdered on Pentecost Sunday in 2022, told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that two years after the massacre, the suspects are in police custody but have not been brought to trial.
On June 5, 2022, extremists opened fire and detonated explosives inside the church at the end of Mass, killing 41 people and injuring more than 70. Father Michael Abugan said his parish commemorated the second anniversary of the attack with a special Mass and a talk about martyrdom.
The priest added that the survivors have been “very resolute, very committed, very resilient in their practice of faith.” Nurse Margaret Attah – who lost an eye and both legs in the attack – told ACN that despite fear in the community, “the church is always full on Sundays – to God be the glory.”
Mrs. Attah said that “there is tension everywhere in Nigeria,” with many people “afraid to leave their homes” because kidnapping is common in parts of the country. She added, “There is no peace of mind. We cannot sleep with our eyes closed. We cannot even travel short distances without fear. But we still thank God.” She stressed that prayer was the people’s only hope, and “the future of the country is only God.”
Despite the absence of justice, Mrs. Attah said that she “found it very easy to forgive the attackers. I pray to God to forgive me my own sins, so likewise, I must forgive others.” Mrs. Attah received ACN UK’s first ever Award last November in London, as part of the charity’s #RedWednesday program.
The massacre was also remembered in the United States, where Bishop Jude Arogundade of Ondo, the diocese of St. Francis Xavier, spoke at an online ACN event on June 5th. Bishop Jude reflected on some of the victims, including a double amputee, a woman who was paralyzed, and a three-year-old who was shot in the head and whose parents are still struggling.
Bishop Jude explained that despite this trauma, hope is strong among the people. The parish of St. Francis Xavier is expanding, and ten new parishes are opening.
A park to remember the victims
After the massacre, ACN offered material and spiritual support, calling for prayers and echoing the local Church’s appeal for justice.
The diocese also submitted a project to ACN: a memorial for the victims, so that the atrocity is never forgotten. The plans are for a memorial garden, where people can gather to remember the victims and pray. ACN is contributing to the construction of the memorial.
Father Damian Ezeokafor, on behalf of the Diocese of Ondo, explained that “the memorial park will become part of the history of the Church, a story to be retold in the future. Without the memorial garden, the likelihood is that this unpleasant part of our history could be forgotten or erased with each generation. Remembrance is important for two reasons: first, to pray for the dead, and second, to show how the faithful paid witness with their blood.”
The park will also have an altar, so that Mass can be celebrated as well.
Mrs. Attah said, “I want to thank ACN’s benefactors. I pray that God will continue to bless you all.”
—Filipe d’Avillez
