With a solemn Eucharistic celebration, the Archdiocese of Lahore closed the diocesan phase of the process for the recognition of the martyrdom of Akash Bashir. The young Pakistani man died at the age of 20 trying to protect worshippers outside Youhanabad’s St John Church during an Islamist attack nine years ago against the Catholic church and a nearby Protestant church, which resulted in a massacre with scores of dead and wounded.
Bashir is the first Pakistani Catholic to be accepted as a Servant of God towards the honour of the altars. His Christian life, marked by service to others in the youth group organised by the Salesians in Lahore, has been examined in the past two years by the diocesan tribunal for the causes of saints, which established in 38 sessions that his act of great courage on 15 March 2015 is the fruit of a life wholly spent bearing heroic witness to Christian virtues.
In his homily, Archbishop Shaw expressly thanked the parents of the Servant of God for the Christian education passed onto Akash. “We pray for this grace for all parents to raise peaceful youth strong in their faith,” the prelate said. “His humility, simple life and determination are a source of bravery and courage for us all. We know that it is difficult to lead a Christian life in our environment. Akash has set a powerful example for young people. He will remain alive in our lives and church,” he added.