Just a few months after being attacked by terrorists, the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on Owaluwa Street in Owo, Ondo State, is ready to reopen for worship on Easter Sunday.
Most Revd. Jude Arogundade, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, revealed this during this year’s Chrism Mass as part of the Easter celebrations.
Recall that on June 5, 2022, 41 people were killed and 69 others were injured when gunmen stormed the church and opened fire on parishioners attending Pentecost Sunday.
Two months after the deadly attack, the suspects who allegedly carried out the attack were arrested by the military in different parts of the country.
Arogundade who said, following the incident, the church had remained closed because of the horrific attack, informed that it will be opened for service on Easter Sunday.
He said: “Since the unfortunate incident that befell our members at the Saint Francis Cathedral in Owo on June 5, 2022, the church has been closed down for security reasons and as a mark of respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government had begun the construction of a memorial park in honour of the slain victims.