This year too, thousands of Sri Lankans have decided to spend Easter on a pilgrimage to Lourdes.

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Over five thousand Sri Lankans from all over Italy and other European countries gathered in the famous Marian sanctuary to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and to pray to Our Lady of Lourdes.

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The pilgrimage began on Good Friday with the procession of the Via Crucis at the Espélugues hill, subsequently the faithful recited the Holy Rosary at the grotto of the apparitions and then ended the day with the possibility of confession.

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The culmination of this pilgrimage was the Eucharistic celebration of Holy Easter, celebrated by Very Rev. Msgr. Neville Perera, national coordinator for the Sri Lankan catholic migrants in Italy, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes and concelebrated by several chaplains serving in Italy.

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During the homily Msgr. Perera indicated the crucified, dead and resurrected Jesus as a symbol of peace and justice.

"For five years now, the Sri Lankan people have been experiencing Easter more vividly after the terrible terrorist attacks that occurred on Easter Sunday in 2019 in Sri Lanka" said Mgr. Perera.

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“We thank Holy Mary, our Divine Mother who is bringing us the truth about these terrorist attacks, we must be patient and continue to pray that justice is done for the victims; God will not allow the perpetrators of this carnage to govern our beautiful country but rather will make it a better place" concluded the prelate.