Dear all YCS members, animators, chaplains, friends and partners!
Greetings from Manila!
As we have informed some of you last Saturday about the bomb last in the Assumption Parish in Kathmandu-Nepal where one of our YCS cells based. It is our deep sadness and anger to hear that 2 persons were killed and other 15 people were injured. Celestin Joseph, a fourteen year old - YCS leader and supposed to be the delegate of the 11th IYCS Asian Session and Council in Malaysia was among the 2 persons killed.
Harassment and killing the Christian minority in South Asia is an unceasing issue which needs our solidarity and commitment to stop it. Nepal is a Hindu country with around 27 million populations, of which only around 7000 Catholics. The Catholic Church here depends mostly on the Indian missionaries, however, their life are also threatened when Fr. Johnson Prakash SDB (a friend of Fr. Augusty and Fr. Benjamin-YCS chaplains in Nepal) was shot dead last year in Dharan. The bomb blast in Assumption Parish on 23rd morning is another harassed action of the extremist to the Christian minority in Nepal. Nepal Defense Army (a rebel group dedicated to re-establishing the "divine" Nepalese monarchy that was abolished last year, and intent on rededicating Nepal as a Hindu state) had declared their responsibility for these 2 killings.
Many more people, especially Christian minority will die if we do not take actions. Thus, IYCS is calling for a petition of all YCS members, friends and partners to stop it. Please in solidarity with IYCS thru putting your full name, country, email ID and signatures in the attached file and send back to us.
For all YCS movements, it would be a great action if each national movement conducts a mourning day for Celestine and all other victims of this bomb blast, with the prayer service and actions. We hope you can pass this petition around and get as many signatures as possible and send back to us or bring to the ASC in Malaysia. We will attach the signatures together with a letter to request the government of Nepal to take strong actions to stop the killing of religious minority in Nepal and to protect the life of the foreign missionaries in Nepal.
We look forward to hear your response.
Please see below the email sharing about the bomb blast and about Celestin from Fr. Benjamin who is accompanying YCS Assumption Parish in Katmandu.
Our solidarity and condolence to YCS Nepal and family of Celestin!
In solidarity and prayers,
Ha, Bonny, Fr. Chrispin and Jem
IYCS Asian Secretariat
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Dear Bonny and Ha,
Greetings from Katmandu!
It is a very heartbreaking incident to share with you all about the tragic death of Celestin Joseph, newly elected treasurer of YCS unit at Assumption parish at Katmandu. First of all she is no more with us. She has become the victim of a heinous attack executed by underground group called NDA (Nepal defense army, who were responsible for the murder of a Don Bosco priest in Nepal last year).
As usual Celestine Joseph came for the Sunday liturgy with her parents ahead of time. She is to sit with her parents in the church. A lady with rosary around her neck was sitting in front of Celestine's family. The lady asked another lady who was sitting close to her where the toilet was. She got up and went out leaving the bag behind. But she had taken something from the bag - many guess it must have been the remote control- No one had any suspicious on the bag or the lady since Assumption church at Katmandu has many foreigners and strangers every Saturday for the liturgy. Ten minutes after starting the mass, around 9.10 a.m. the bomb was blown off. Most probably the lady who brought the bag must have been keeping a safe distance and must have press the button. Celestine was blown up to a distance with impact of the explosion. Her face was partially disfigured and belly too was opened, causing the intestine exposed outside the body. she was taken to hospital but on the way she said good bye to this world.
Celeste was a student of St. Mary's school, Katmandu. Her father is an Indian and mother is a Nepali. She was a very active member of the YCS group. She was the newly elected treasurer of the YCS unit at Assumption parish, Dhobigat, Kathmandu. She was serene and cheerful by nature, willing to do any work for the group. If anything to be done, and if others are hesitant, we could see Celeste' s hand going up expressing her reading to do the particular activity.
We really miss her. May the Good Lord forgive the person / persons who committed this crime against the innocent girl who came to worship her only Savior Jesus Christ.
Along with Celeste another lady from India too was killed in the blast. Today they had booked the ticket to go back to India but the couple wanted to attend the Sunday service and start the journey but it ended in her final journey to her heavenly father.
There are eighteen people injured, of which five are critical. It includes Celeste's mother too. Her father had only a minor injury. But he is under shock.
Kindly join us as we mourn the death of Celeste who was very dear to us all and pray for the repose of her soul. May she rest in peace.
With Prayers,
Fr. Benjamin
PETITION CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE KILLING AND HARASSMENT OF CHRISTIAN MINORITY IN NEPAL
Send an email to sign the petition to iycsasia@tri-isys.com
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