19 December 2019 02:43 am Views - 1943
31 'believers' passed away at the Zion Church, Batticaloa on April 21st
A life-size photo of Dishanika Thivenithan greets visitors at the entrance to her residence. “My daughters were having breakfast when the incident occurred,” recalled Hemamali, Dishanika’s mother. “All of a sudden I got a call from my younger daughter saying that her sister is injured and is unconscious. Then I was told that a bomb had exploded. By the time my husband went there she had shown where her sister was. We later identified it from her earring because the rest of the body was burnt,” recalled Hemamali.
Although they were Hindu, the Thivenithan family has converted to the Christian faith after Dishanika was treated for hyperventilation. “At least the fact that she left us at the Church is a positive sign and I believe that she is with Jesus,” said Hemamali.
What was quite unbelievable was his piece of handwork done two weeks prior to the incident. “While at home he did a piece of handwork which had a hospital and someone taking a patient into the hospital on a stretcher. The patient was wearing a brown shirt. Above the hospital there were clouds and the Sun, like it was a morning hour. Two weeks later when he passed away Anayah was also wearing a brown shirt and the incident also happened in the morning. He may have sensed it,” she said.
Time is still ticking on Anayah’s watch which is sealed in a bottle while his Bible lies safely at home.
Pastor Deivendran had initially studied at Zion Church and had later joined the Village Gospel Church. When asked about the process to become a pastor he said initially followers have to accept Jesus Christ. “After they come to Church, they are baptized and will then join with a Ministry or a Pastor. They are taught Christian ethics and other basic lessons and are sent to Bible College. The course spans three to four years. Thereafter they would be ordained. So the entire process takes around five years. Lay workers also have to study at Bible College. There are only 200 registered churches in Batticaloa. If 20 families are there in the congregation then a church can be registered at the Divisional secretariat or under the Parliament Act,” explained Pastor Deivendran.
Lay workers also have to study at Bible College. There are only 200 registered churches in Batticaloa
“People seem to be discouraged from attending service. They may not be having faith on Jesus. During the past four months nobody has joined us. All I can ask from people is to have faith on the Church,” he concluded.
We then met Rebecca, the other survivor in the family whose hands and one side of the face were burnt rather badly. Verl was originally a Hindu who was converted through black magic rituals. “It happened back in 1987, but now we believe in our faith. I know that my family members are with Jesus and that’s the only relief I have. After all everything in life is temporary,” said Verl.
Navaratnam Prashanth is a construction worker who’s feeling the loss of his wife. “My wife Prashanth Girija went to church with my two children. Both of us are Hindu, but she had a heart ailment. After she started going to this Church she got healed and thereafter she converted. She used to call me to Church, but I never went. Even on the 21st she called me. But after she died I too converted to the faith. I don’t know what to say because I have four children and have to raise them on my own now. But I believe in my faith and I know that Jesus will look after her,” said Navaratnam.
During our visit to Batticaloa we witnessed many places operating as ‘Ministries’offering healing services. While some claim that it is a fraud, as many as 7000 Hindus and Muslims have already converted to a Non-Roman Catholic (NRC) faith. At the onset of the Easter attack it was said that Zion Church didn’t receive any funding from the Archbishop’s Fund. But the Daily Mirror learned that the Rs. 10 million was given to the Batticaloa victims in two installments through Seth Sarana – Caritas, the social service arm of the Archdiocese of Colombo. “We gave Rs. Five million to Caritas – Batticaloa to be distributed among the victims’ families,” said Fr. Lawrence Ramanayake, Director – Caritas Colombo (Seth Sarana).
Elisa (left) Rebecca (right)
“We invited other religious leaders to join in when w e distributed this money and it was given to the families in the presence of Pastor Roshan. Then we visited Batticaloa the second time with His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and handed over another Rs. Five million to the Pastor himself. Apart from that we also supported patients from Batticaloa when they got admitted to hospitals. All this was done through the Cardinal’s Easter Sunday fund account,” said Fr. Ramanayake. While construction work is underway at the original Zion Church premises, a new establishment is being constructed closer to the entrance to Batticaloa. The Daily Mirror also learned that all families are making contributions to the construction work at the new establishment.
Anayah’s piece of handwork done two weeks before the incident
Chandrika’s son
A bike that withstood the intensity of the explosives
Gruesome remnants of the attack