By Chandani Kirinde

Three weeks after the deadly Easter Sunday bombings that killed nearly 240 and left scores injured, families are struggling to come to terms with losing their loved ones in such a cruel manner. They are turning to their religion to find solace, returning to church with the hope of finding answers as to why such a fate befell them. 

B.J. Gomes of Modara had the misfortune of burying his son 33-year-old Burlington Joseph Gomes, daughter-in-law Chandrika and two grandsons

B.J. Gomes of Modara has had the misfortune of burying his son 33-year-old Burlington Joseph Gomes, daughter-in-law Chandrika and two grandsons. Anotherof his grandsons is unaccounted for.The young family was among hundreds of others who were attending the 8 a.m. Mass at St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade when a suicide bomber blew himself up.

A grief-stricken B.J. Gomes was among a gathering of relatives of the victims attending a memorial service in their remembrance held at the St. Lucia’s Church in Kotahena on Saturday where Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith led the service. 

“My son was very pious, regularly attending church with his whole family. He had a thirst for Mass which is why he took his family and went there for the morning service. They all perished there,” Gomes said while showing the death notice of the deceased family that he carries in his pocket with him. 

The hours and days following the bombing of the church has been a nightmare for him and his family as no doubt for all others affected by the carnage.

While they were initially able to identify only his son, daughter-in-law and a youngest grandson’s bodies, another of the grandsons was identified using DNA testing last Thursday. “We buried him next to his mother, but we are yet to find his older brother and lay him to rest,” Gomes said. 

The Gomes family was attending church for the first time on Saturday since the attacks and sought to find solace in the House of God. “We were thirsty for the blessings of the Cardinal. Now we got to meet him. But I feel we can no longer live in this country after what happened. It is too traumatic for our family,” he said. 

T. Regan of Hendala, Wattala lost his four-year-old daughter LeemaRithika at Kochchikade. He too attended the memorial service with his family members, the first church outing since the attacks. 

“I have been coming to Kochchikade church for more than 20 years and it was a special day for us as it was Easter Sunday. My mother, wife and son and daughter all come early to be on time for the 8 a.m.service. It was about half an hour later when we were lighting candles that there was a massive sound. We all fell to the ground and when I managed to get up and look around, I saw my daughter lying on the floor,” he said.

Regan had carried his daughter who was still breathing and rushed outside but there were no vehicles as the roads leading to the church were all blocked. He had looked back momentarily and seen black smoke emitting and people screaming. “I rushed past the barricades and managed to get into a three-wheeler with my daughter in my arms. On the way to the hospital, I felt her body jerking and then become lifeless.She had a head injury and died due to it,” he said.

Such stories were all too common on Saturday where there were sombre and emotional scenes when the memorial service got underway at St. Lucia’s Church which now houses the statue of St. Anthony as repairs are underway at the church in Kochchikade. 

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith spoke of the difficulty he himself has had in coming to terms with the attack on innocent worshippers and reiterated his criticism of the political leadership of the country saying they too are responsible for the carnage that took place on Easter Sunday.  

“They cannot wash their hands of the incidents. It is our responsibility to ensure they too are punished.Those who cannot fulfil their responsibilities are not suitable for leadership of our country,” he said.

Cardinal Ranjith also recollected how he had been informed of the bomb explosion at the St. Anthony’s Church at Kochchikade by telephone by a priest from the church.

“I was in disbelief and immediately made my way there. It was only when I got there, I saw the severity of the attack. I was unable to go inside as there were fears there was another bomb inside. Hence, I returned to the Archbishop’s House. When I got there, I was informed about another bomb attack on a church in Negombo,” he said. 

Cardinal Ranjith said those who carried out theattacks, those who helped them including those operating from countries outside Sri Lanka and those who incited the attackers all must be held responsible, and even if they escape punishment in this life, they will have to face punishment by God.

For the family members of those killed in the attacks who attended the memorial service, it was a chance to grieve collectively, once strangers, now united in pain and grief.And while the tears of many have dried, their heartache and pain remain raw.

Pix by Shehan Gunasekara

Catholics hold first Sunday mass after Easter attacks