Another bomb blast....

Dehiwela is an area just south of Colombo city on Galle Rd, I happened to be in the area a few days ago. With the recent increase in petrol prices, more people are turning to the trains for transportation. However both train and buses are popular targets for attacks.

Please pray for the parish priest in Dehiwela, Fr Perry Brohier and his congregation at Christ Church, Dehiwela. (Pronounced Deh-va-la).

Text messages have been sent to all warning about unaccompanied packages and bags.

Train bomb kills 9, injures more than 70

By Kurulu Kariyakarawana and Kassapa Ellepola

At least nine people were killed and more than 70 injured when a bomb exploded inside a packed Panadura-bound train at the Dehiwela railway station last evening. Among the victims returning home after work were six females, including a pregnant woman and three males.

The explosion took place minutes after the train that started from Colombo Fort had just moved a few yards from the Dehiwela railway station. According to initial investigations the explosive device, believed to be a two-kilogramme parcel bomb, had been placed on the left side luggage rack of the fifth compartment.

Any Connection?

Another bomb blast in Colombo

Eight policeman and two civilians were killed and more than 95 injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-packed motorcycle into a police bus carrying riot squad personnel in an attack that shook the country as it prepared to celebrate Vesak.

The bus was parked on Lotus Road a short distance from the Presidential Secretariat, the Sambuddhaloka Viharaya and the Hilton Hotel. The noon blast that damaged nearby buildings and vehicles occurred just a few hours before the scheduled swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Minister of the Eastern Province and other councillors.

National Hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe said 17 of the injured were in a serious condition with five being warded in the ICU.

Preliminary police investigations revealed the bike bearing an eastern province number plate had been fitted with some seven kilograms of explosives.

Another Holiday!

Sri Lanka is truly an island of holidays! Next week - May 19th & 20th marks the Vesak Poya, the most important of Poya days. These take place every month when there is a full moon.
A 3 fold celebration which commemorates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death which are traditionally thought to have taken place on the day of the Vesak poya.
In addition, the last of the Buddha's three alleged visits to Sri Lanka is claimed to have been on a Vesak poya day. Lamps are lit in front of houses, and platforms decorated with scenes from the life of Buddha (pandals) are erected throughout the country. Cars and buses are decorated with streamers and free food is distributed from roadside stalls.

May Day

Christian Workers Fellowship Mass
50th Anniversary 2008

Here a few photos of the service I attended last week at St Michael's, Polwatte.
For those interested in liturgy, here are a few excerpts from the Eucharistic Prayer:
Clergy: Let us now lift our hearts
People: To our God we lift our hearts Clergy: Cleansing fire of the Universe, Preserver and Life-giver, O Holy God, we worship you offering heartfelt praise and thanks. People: Of all reality the heart O Dharma eternal and true, Sat-Chit- Ananda are you!
Clergy: O most Gracious God, Truth Primaeval, springhead of all life, nourishing us, Our Mother of all beings Father. From darkness you bring forth light, from chaos you draw out order, out of nature's beauty speaking into fellowship calling us....
... Poor like us and born of woman, knowing toil, a worker by profession Dharma, Truth and Way became human named Jesus and *Taraka by acclaim...

NB *Taraka In Indian cultures, Taraka is one who not only crosses over to the further shore (from suffering to freedom), but also makes others cross over, i.e. Liberator, Saviour. In kalidasa's epic "Kumarasambhava" the child is called Taraka, the one who guides us through the ocean of Samsara,


For more details about the liturgy or a copy, please contact me!

Ghandi Book signing

Just to prove I met Ela Ghandi! Ghandi's grand-daughter.
She was good enough to sign my book written by the Revd Charles F Andrews about Mahatma Ghandi.