World

Sri Lanka village holds what is thought to be first Mass since all Catholic churches closed for fear of further attacks

A boy holds a processional cross during Mass at St Joseph's church in Thannamunai, Sri Lanka. Picture by: Gemunu Amarasinghe/PA
A boy holds a processional cross during Mass at St Joseph's church in Thannamunai, Sri Lanka. Picture by: Gemunu Amarasinghe/PA A boy holds a processional cross during Mass at St Joseph's church in Thannamunai, Sri Lanka. Picture by: Gemunu Amarasinghe/PA

A SMALL village in eastern Sri Lanka has held what is thought to be the first Mass since Catholic leaders closed all their churches for fear of further attacks.

Under incredibly tight security, worshippers watched a priest be ordained as they hoped for a future when Mass would not require hundreds of troops armed with assault rifles to defend it.

Checkpoints started just outside the east Sri Lanka village of Thannamunai, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants launched suicide attacks that killed over 250 people.

"People wanted to celebrate Mass, they wanted to participate in this, but they, even myself, were afraid," Father Norton Johnson said.

"However, security personnel gave us good protection."

The Mass in Thannamunai, about 140 miles north east of the capital, Colombo, had been planned at least two weeks earlier to mark the ordination with the participation of some 200 priests.

They had expected thousands to attend the ceremony at St Joseph's Catholic Church.

Then came Easter.

Soldiers guard outside St Joseph's church in Thannamunai, Sri Lanka. Picture by Gemunu Amarasinghe/PA
Soldiers guard outside St Joseph's church in Thannamunai, Sri Lanka. Picture by Gemunu Amarasinghe/PA Soldiers guard outside St Joseph's church in Thannamunai, Sri Lanka. Picture by Gemunu Amarasinghe/PA

On the morning of April 21, suicide bombers attacked three churches and three hotels across Sri Lanka.

Soon after, the US Embassy in Colombo warned against attending services at any place of worship in the multi-ethnic nation of 21 million Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Muslims.

Catholic leaders then closed all their churches.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, celebrated Mass this past Sunday at his residence, with the country's leaders attending.

The faithful prayed on their knees at home, watching his homily in a televised broadcast.

But the invitation for the ordinations already had been sent out.

After confirming with the military, Father Johnson and other Catholic leaders agreed to quietly hold the Mass for the community.

Father Johnson said he believed it to be the first Mass held in the country, outside of small gatherings for prayers quietly held at believers' homes.

What had been expected to be a crowd of 3,000 turned into several hundred.

The 200 priests expected instead became 80.

But still they came, the priests laying their hands on the new priest's forehead as he knelt before them.

Security personnel remained tense, in part because Thannamunai is wedged between Muslim neighbourhoods and authorities believe militants remain at large.

The alleged mastermind of the Easter bombings also preached a violent interpretation of the Koran nearby, promising heaven to those who killed nonbelievers.

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who has not been seen in nearly five years, appeared in a video on Monday and praised the Sri Lankan attackers, who earlier pledged their loyalty to him.

During the service Tuesday, a Muslim woman rode past sitting side-saddle on a small motorbike, her black abaya billowing in the wind.

Father Johnson made a point to say that those behind the Easter attacks were "only a few terrorists".

"In every religion, every race, there are extremists. They do certain things. But we can't blame one community for these problems," the priest said.

"The Muslim community, they are afraid, and they are sorry about this incident. And what I can say is we are with them."

Police officers arranged separate queues for men and women outside St Joseph's.

The officers carefully patted down those entering the service.

Around 300 soldiers, 60 police officers and special commandos stood guard, some behind the church looking at the blue still waters of a nearby lagoon.

"It's a very risky thing," said one army officer.

But inside, worshippers prayed with their eyes closed, some barefoot.

A choir sang hymns backed by a synthesiser and drums, their Tamil verses peppered with hosannas, an exclamation to give praise to God.

Orange streamers hung from the rafters. Bouquets of flowers ringed its chandeliers.

St Joseph's earlier was near the front lines of the government's decades-long civil war against the Tamil Tigers.

Mortars once struck the church, damaging it, Father Johnson recounted.

But it was rebuilt, as he hoped peace would soon be across all of Sri Lanka.

"We are all the same," he said before walking back into the church.

"All of our blood is red."