2010-03-08 14:37:51

Sri Lankan bishops meet resettled refugees in Jaffna


(March 8, 2010) Six Catholic bishops have met resettled Tamil war refugees in Jaffna diocese in northern Sri Lanka, listened to their grievances and given them relief aid. The delegation went on Saturday to see for themselves the problems people are facing as they try to rebuild their lives. During their tour of the Kilinochchi, Mulangavil, Vidaltaltivu, Iranamadhu and Kiran areas, the bishops handed over bicycles, solar lamps, oil lamps, clothing for school children and school items. The group included president of the Sri Lankan bishops’ conference Bishop Vianney Fernando, and Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, chairman of the National Catholic Commission for Justice, Peace and Human Development. Father Christopher George Jayakumar, head of the Caritas Human Development Center (HUDEC) in Jaffna, who accompanied the prelates, said, “The villagers want the return of their belongings lost during the war. These include boats and farming tools.” Another delegation of bishops visited the war zone in Mannar diocese recently. They included Bishops Norbert Andradi, secretary of the bishops’ conference, Thomas Savundaranayagam of Jaffna, Cletus Perera of Ratnapura, Valence Mendis of Chilaw and Winston Fernando of Badulla. They assured the Tamils that the Church would help them rebuild their livelihoods.







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