By Deborah Timmer

03/23/2017 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – On March 15, 2013, the Pakistani Taliban sent two suicide bombers to attack Christ Church and St. John’s Catholic Church located in Youhanabad, a Christian neighborhood in Pakistan. The bombings killed 22 people and injured many others from the congregation.  ICC has stood alongside the persecuted victims since the attack, providing everything from small business assistance to medical assistance to funds for memorial services on the anniversary of the attack.

Last week, ICC helped fund the second anniversary memorial service for the survivors and community members of Youhanabad. Although tents, chairs, and funds for food seem like a small gesture in light of the attack, this service allowed the community to remember, mourn, and grow stronger together.

St. John’s Catholic Church collaborated with Christ Church to organize the Youhanabad bombing anniversary services, starting in March 2016. Approximately 3,000-3,500 people have participated in the anniversary events, while authorities and volunteers established checkpoints and high security protocols to ensure their safety. Security protocols included metal detectors and full body searches to ensure that no one was hiding weapons.

During the service, families visited the gravesites of the dead in the morning and attended a prayer service afterwards. Catholic priest Reverend Fr. Francis Gulzar and Christ Church’s pastor, Reverend Irshad Ashknaz, began the ceremony with special prayers for the martyrs’ families. Survivors and family members shared testimonies of God’s faithfulness and struggles since the attack. Afterwards, several groups sang, shared poetry and speeches, and performed on stage as tribute to the martyrs of Youhanabad. The event concluded with the church’s political leadership delivering speeches.

ICC’s simple gesture provided these Christians with a little comfort as they remember those lost and injured two years ago. The testimony and strength of Youhanabad’s Christian community continues to show God’s faithfulness through trials to Christians around the world.