Madalla blast: Catholic shifts Mass

By Rotimi Ajayi & Funmi Olasupo

ABUJA – Following last Christmas Day bomb attack on St Theresa’s Catholic Church,  Madalla, Niger State, the Catholic authority in Niger State has ordered the moving forward of December  31 end of year Mass in the area, known as Kwamba Deanery,  from 10 pm to 4 pm.

The shift-forward of the Mass was announced by the Bishop of the Minna Diocese, Most Rev Martin Igwe Uzoukwu in Madalla, yesterday, while addressing newsmen on the bomb attack.

The announcement of the shift in time of the end-of-year Mass came just as the Parish, yesterday, formally released names of those who died and injured at the last Sunday attack.

According to Bishop Uzoukwu, the shift was necessitated following security concerns expressed by many members of the Diocese, whom he said had called repeatedly seeking for cancellation of the Mass.

He said: “People have been calling Bishop, Father to cancel the Mass on December 31. But if you don’t come to God whom will you run to for safety? So you have to come to church at 4 pm and pray that the good Lord will carry you into 2012.”

Following the Bishop’s announcement, the affected Parish Priest, Rev, Father Isaac Achi further announced: “Our New Year Mass is going to be at 4pm on December 31 in all the churches in this Deanery so that by 6 p.m. we can all go to our homes to continue our prayer. We will come back in the morning of January 1, 2012.”

Speaking on the Christmas day attack on St Theresa,  the Bishop said: “Reflecting on the ugly and unfortunate but avoidable incident in Madalla, I stare at the fact that we have lost more than 40 people with many others wounded, maybe maimed forever. They are in different hospitals in Suleja, Abuja Main Town  and Gwagwalada.

“I look at the destruction of the St Theresa’s Church edifice which cost us millions of Naira and the surrounding buildings that cost their owners a lot of money and efforts to build. What a loss, a big loss indeed to all of us irrespective of tribal, religious, economic or cultural affiliations.

“The Boko Haram group has claimed responsibility for this crime against us and the entire people of Niger State. This is not the first act of violence against the Christian community in Niger State. During the post-election crisis in Nigeria in April 2011, different churches in Niger State experienced different levels of violent attack.

One of our churches, St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Angwan Kaje, Minna was partially burnt.
“I call on all my peace-loving Muslim friends to condemn publicly this act against us. I call on all religious leaders, traditional rulers and custodians of the land in Niger State to stand up strongly against this Boko Haram group who have claimed responsibility for this dastardly act against the good people of Niger State. We need to go beyond words and move into action to ensure that our people live together in harmony and peace.

“My hope is that the Federal Government and state government will take care of the medical treatment of those injured either here in Nigeria or abroad. I hope that they will compensate those who lost their lives and their properties during the ugly incident.”

The Bishop directed that henceforth, all members of the church in the diocese should spend at least one hour daily in prayers and reading of chapel of mercy constantly.

Subsequently, the Parish released 100 names of the deceased and victims of the bomb attack, which list the Bishop said was not final.