On Monday, April 21, the Vatican will officially recognise the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka as ‘Heroes of Faith,’ according to Rev. Fr. Jude Chrysantha, Director of Communications for the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.
The declaration, issued by Pope Francis, will be publicly read by His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, during a solemn service at St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya—one of the key locations affected by the bombings.
The title ‘Heroes of Faith’ is conferred by the Catholic Church on individuals who have laid down their lives for their Christian faith. In this instance, it honours the hundreds of worshippers—men, women, and children—who died during Easter Sunday Mass on April 21, 2019. The coordinated bombings targeted churches and hotels across the country, resulting in over 250 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
“These individuals are being acknowledged as martyrs who offered their lives for Christ,” Fr. Chrysantha stated.
Alongside the Vatican’s declaration, Cardinal Ranjith is also expected to deliver remarks on the Catholic Church’s stance regarding the government’s ongoing failure to fully investigate and reveal the truth behind the attacks, even six years later.
A series of commemorative events is planned to mark the occasion. The day will begin with a prayer procession starting at 7:00 a.m. from St. Lucia’s Cathedral in Kotahena, proceeding to St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade—another site of the bombings. A remembrance service is scheduled at the shrine at 8:30 a.m., with diplomats and community members in attendance.
Later in the day, a separate memorial will take place at St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya. Families of the victims, clergy, and parishioners will gather to honour the memory of those who died and reflect on the ongoing journey toward justice and healing.
