Christians Mark National Day for Indian Martyrs

(Aug.25,2010) On Sunday, Christians throughout India will mark a day to remember the martyrs of the country, especially those who were killed recently in India’s eastern Orissa State. This National Day for Indian Martyrs, marks the anniversary of the Orissa massacres in August 2008, a tragedy that still demands justice," Fides reported.
The Ecumenism Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India noted, that numerous Christian denominations in the country will unite to celebrate this day annually on the last Sunday of August. The commission affirmed that "Christians have a common martyrology, which includes all the martyrs of the 20th century and of the current century." Bishop Anil Couto of Jalandhar, chairman of the Ecumenism Commission, said: "We request all Christians belonging to various denominations, to remember those who died for the sake of their faith. He explained that the memorial day is aimed at preserving in memory their suffering and sacrifice as a heritage of Christians. It can inspire many generations," the prelate added. The commission secretary, Fr.Anbu said "The Christians, who sacrificed their lives are from different denominations and ecclesial communities, so it could be an ecumenical effort to unite the Christians towards their great sacrifice."
To mark the day, there will be prayer services, fasting campaigns, commemoration meetings, and symbolic gestures of solidarity, such as blood drives at hospitals.