Easter Sunday would mark the church’s reopening to worshipers, just 10 months after gunmen at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state, brutally killed 41 worshipers.
At least 69 additional people were hurt in the incident on June 5, 2022.
The military has detained the alleged murderers.
The Bishop of the Ondo Diocese, Rev. Bishop Jude Arogundade, announced that the church would reopen for worshipers on Easter Sunday while speaking during this year’s Chrism liturgy as part of celebrations to honor the Easter holiday.
The church has been locked since the attack on worshippers, according to Bishop Arogundade.
According to him “Since the unfortunate incident that befell our members at the Saint Francis Cathedral in Owo on June 5 2022, the church has been closed down for security reasons and as a mark of respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
“The church shall be opened again for Easter Sunday. The government of Ondo state is as well planning to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the massacre in honour of our fallen heroes.”
Recall that the state government has commenced the construction of a Memorial Park in honour of the slain victims.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, during an inspection of the park, said that his administration would not forget the victims
Akeredolu hinted that the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who visited Owo to commiserate with the State and the people after the incident, will be invited to commission the project when completed.
He said that ”By the time we finish this Memorial Park, it will be a beauty to behold and it is going to measure up to any Memorial Park anywhere because the Architect, has taken his time to do so much good work here. It is for us to just wait and see it.
