By Purushottam Nayak

Berhampur, Feb 26, 2020: Around 3,000 Catholics who on February 26 gathered in a church in Odisha state’s “silk city” for Ash Wednesday services prayed for coronavirus victims all over the world, especially those in China.

”We are specially praying for the victims of coronavirus of China in this season of Lent,” Father Sanjeev Nayak, parish priest of the Queen of the Mission Parish in Berhampur, told Matters India.

The coronavirus has so far infected more than 80,000 globally, killing at least 2,700, aljazeera.com reported on February 26.

France reported the first death of a French citizen from the epidemic as cases grew rapidly across Europe, with Spain confirming eight new cases in the past 24 hours and new infections reported in Germany, Greece, France, Croatia, Austria and Switzerland. A new case in Brazil marks the first known case in Latin America.

Although China announced a decline in new confirmed cases February 26, the number of infected people soared in South Korea to more than 1,200, with more expected in the coming days as the state attempts to test 200,000 people.

“We express our condolences and solidarity to the victims of coronavirus, the dreaded decease that has spread global panic,” Father Nayak, who is also the vicar general of the Berhampur Catholic diocese, told the faithful as they began the holy season.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of prayers, fasts and almsgiving for Christians all over the world.

“The Lenten season focuses three pillars in the Catholic Church. Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. We have begun praying for the victims from the first day of Lenten season added Nayak.

Sapna Sahu, a Catholic mother in Berhampur, said she is praying for the victims of corona virus because they belong to one family of God.

“It is through prayer we receive grace, power, peace and healing,” she told Matters India.

Berhampur, one of the big cities of Odisha, is located on the eastern Indian coastline. It is famous for trade and commerce and it is well known for its intricately designed silk sarees and handloom cloth.

The diocese was established on 1974, with Vincentian Bishop Thomas Thiruthalil as the first prelate. Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak is the present prelate.

The diocese has 71,549 Catholics, 25 parishes, 2 missions, 89 priests, 43 diocesan, 52 religious, 285 lay religious, 102 brothers, 183 sisters, 13 seminarians.