Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Mass of courage in city under fire

byStaff writers
29 March 2014
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA

Danger zone: Fr Christopher Jafau Barde in front of St Theresa´s Church in Madalla partly destroyed in a Christmas day bombing by Boko Haram extremists. Photos: Aid the the Church in Need

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Danger zone: Fr Christopher Jafau Barde in front of St Theresa´s Church in Madalla partly destroyed in a Christmas day bombing by Boko Haram extremists. Photos: Aid the the Church in Need
Danger zone: Fr Christopher Jafau Barde in front of St Theresa´s Church in Madalla partly destroyed in a Christmas day bombing by Boko Haram extremists. Photos: Aid the the Church in Need

MORE than 2000 people in northern Nigeria risked their lives by turning out for Mass on March 16 while their city was being bombed.

Describing St Patrick’s Cathedral, Maiduguri, as “packed”, Fr John Bakeni (pictured), the celebrant at the Mass, said people told him afterwards that if the attacks worsened they would prefer to die in church than anywhere else.

The Mass took place after suspected Boko Haram extremists launched one of their biggest armed campaigns of recent months, firing rocket-propelled grenades and mounting a massive assault on a military barracks.

Hundreds died in the attacks, which were repulsed by the Nigerian military, but there were growing concerns about the Government’s capacity to hold back the extremists.

“Yesterday morning there were a lot of bomb explosions but that did not seem to deter people from coming to church,” Fr John Bakeni said.

“It was a very humbling and edifying experience to see so many people at Mass.

“When it came to the homily, I said to them that there was no need to preach. I told them: ‘Your presence in such large numbers is a homily in itself.’”

The priest asked the world to pray for the people of Nigeria.

“Please pray that this violence will stop,” he said.

He described the start of the attacks early on March 14.

Related Stories

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

“We were greeted with the deafening sounds of bomb explosions, rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire,” he said.

“There was confusion and pandemonium everywhere.”

Hundreds of insurgents, dressed in military fatigues, struck at Maiduguri’s Giwa Military Barracks and succeeded in releasing fellow fighters held in the cells.

Boko Haram has declared its enemies as the Nigerian Government, education institutes and the Church as well as moderate Muslims.

In military clashes that went on for more than four hours, more than 200 insurgents were reported dead following a massive drive by the Nigerian military to flush them out. Recently, Fr Bakeni and others reported that the enemy forces had “regrouped” and were mounting further attacks amid increasing concerns that Maiduguri was on the point of falling to the extremists.

“We are all living in fear now, looking up to God and counting on your prayers,” he said. “The (Nigerian) military are doing their very best but they lack modern weaponry to counter these guys who are far more sophisticated.”

  ACN

[divider]

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Josephites moved to tears

Next Post

Safe, one rhyme at a time

Staff writers

Related Posts

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

18 May 2022
Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting
World

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

17 May 2022
Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday
QLD

Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

17 May 2022
Next Post

Safe, one rhyme at a time

St Leo’s welcomes rector

Carers renewed to serve

Popular News

  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Lives of the saints – St Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

by CNS
18 May 2022
0

IN the United States, Asians are a distinct minority. Those who are Catholic make them a minority...

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

17 May 2022
Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

17 May 2022
Lives of the saints – St Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks

Lives of the saints – St Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks

17 May 2022
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

17 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping