Sri Lankan community holds vigil in Regina for Easter attacks

Sonali Fernando recalled the panic that set in when she heard about the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 people in Sri Lanka.

“We didn’t eat. We didn’t feel like working. All we did was check Facebook, notifications on the phone,” Fernando said.

“This happened in Colombo, this happened at churches. Did my aunt go to that church? Did my mother-in-law go to that church?”

On Sunday afternoon, they gathered at Regina’s John Paul Chapel for a candlelight vigil expressing solidarity with those killed.

Luckily, Fernando did not have any family affected by the attacks. Neither did others in Regina’s Sri Lankan community, she said. However, she added that every person in attendance knew somebody affected by the bombings in some way.

The service saw speeches and prayers from those representing all four of Sri Lanka’s major religions — Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.

Fernando called it a show of unity, as their motherland had been enjoying a decade of peace preceded by a lengthy civil war.

“We’re not divided by religion. We’re not divided by ethnicity. We’re all one Sri Lankan family here,” she said. “We’re hoping this would not turn into another conflict. That’s why we’re here, to pray for peace and harmony back home.”