Only three of the 14 statues that make up the Via Crucis were saved. Local worshipers staged a silent protest to denounce the lack of progress in the investigation. Father Kishore Ekka, parish priest of Dongargarh, says. “I couldn’t speak because of the pain.”
Raipur () – Christians from the Archdiocese of Raipur, in the central state of Chhattisgarh, have organized a silent protest to denounce the inaction of the police. There has been no progress in the case over the vandalization and desecration of Calvary Hill, a popular pilgrimage site among Indian Catholics.
On the morning of July 3, the parishioners discovered that some vandals had destroyed the place: only three of the 14 statues that make up the Via Crucis located on the way to the top of the hill were saved.
“I felt deep pain seeing the statues of Jesus and Mary damaged,” he told Father Kishore Ekka, parish priest of Dongargarh. “I cried seeing my Lord slaughtered, I couldn’t speak because of the pain.”
“The statues were intact until 4 a.m. on July 2,” the priest added, admitting he knew nothing more about the attack.
“We want the police to take immediate action against those responsible,” Father Ekka continued. Five days after filing the police report, there has still been no progress in the investigation.
“People bravely participated in the protest, along with many religious, walking from the Dongargarh church to the sub-district magistrate’s office, where we presented a memorandum,” the priest added. Before the demonstration on July 8, the faithful celebrated an hour of adoration.
Calvary Hill was declared a center of pilgrimage by the Archdiocese of Raipur in 2001.
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