Owo Catholic faithful express joy over church reopening

Catholic faithful in Owo, in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State and its environs were full of joy as the St. Francis Catholic Church in the locality reopened for worshippers 10 months after it was attacked by terrorists.

Terrorists had, on June 5 last year, attacked the church with explosives killing over 40 people and injuring 70 others.

Bishop of Ondo Catholic Diocese, Revd Father Jude Arogundade presided over the reopening of the church as part of activities to mark Easter Sunday.

The church, which was repainted and fitted with modern furniture, was attended by many worshippers.

Bishop Arogundade congratulated the Catholic faithful on being alive to witness the reopening of the church.

Arogundade urged them to use the occasion to pray for the souls of the dead ones, even as he commiserated with their families.

He said the June 5 attack would go down in the history of Yoruba land as the worst that could happen to the church.

The Bishop insisted that the attack would never intimidate the church and its members.

He urged the congregation to use the resurrection of Jesus Christ in relation to the terror attack to renew their faith in God.

Bishop Arogundade also faulted the government at all levels for failing to provide security for the lives and properties of her citizens.

It will go down in the history of Yoruba land as the worst that can happen to a church.

No matter how sad it is, no matter the agonising memory, the June 5 attack cannot intimidate us.

He said: “We have to call ourselves back to the greater understanding of what is happening in our society today. I have never seen a nation so comfortable watching the killings of its citizens on a daily basis in hundreds and nothing has been done in the past 15 years.

“It doesn’t happen in other places. I don’t know why the government has refused to apologise to the citizens who had failed.

“Almost on daily basis, we hear of many people being killed. Many people have even forgotten what happened in this church 10 months ago because many more have happened without the world paying attention.

“The government must wake up and show strength and courage and ensure that those who carried out the evil attack are brought to book and punished accordingly.

The Chairman of Akoko Southwest Local Government Area of Ondo State, Mr Augustine Oloruntogbe, described the attack as the worst crime against humanity.

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