Bhubaneswar: The Catholic bishops of Odisha have decided to celebrate Martyrs Day on August 30 every year.
The day follows the feast of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist, said Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar who heads the Catholic Church in the eastern Indian state.
This decision was taken at the meeting of Odisha Bishops’ Regional Council (OCBC) on February. However, the council announced the date only on March 10.
“We are happy that the decision has been done now as we honor and respect the sacrifice of 101 people who lost their lives during the 2007 and 2008 pogrom,” said OCBC chairperson Archbishop Barwa. The Divine Word prelate said most victims are from Kandhamal district that witnessed anti-Christian violence in those years. The others are from other districts of the state,” he added.
The OCBC has requested the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) to make it a national celebration, the prelate added.
“We are waiting of the decision of CBCI, but we are hopeful that CBCI is in favor of it,” Bara said.
Barwa presented the anti-Christian persecution of Kandhamal of 2007 and 2008 at the March 2-9 CBCI biennial plenary at Bangalore, southern India.
Archbishop Barwa’s talk on the Odisha martyrs was on March 4. “After my presentation on Odisha Martyrs at CBCI, many bishops were eager to know about them,” the prelate added.
OCBC has already started to documents the lives and incidents of 101 Odisha martyrs with the help of a group of lay people and priests. Hopefully the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar would appoint a postulator for the said cause.
Father Ajaya Kumar Singh, human rights activist and director of Odisha Forum for Social Action, lauded the OCBC decision on Martyrs Day.