The Mercy Angels, a 65-member team of volunteers in the Archdiocese of Banga-lore in Karnataka state, help to bury Christians in the Indian Christian Cemetery, a common cemetery for all denominations in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore).
“We have buried more than 250 bodies of Covid-19 patients in less than 15 days in our archdiocese,” said Father Santosh Royan.
On each day over the past fortnight, they have buried an average of 15 bodies.
“Just now we have done a burial,” volunteer Yohan Joe told UCA News on April 28. “Another 11 more bodies are waiting for burial. We will not leave this place until we bury them all.”
Father Royan said they do not discriminate against “anyone based on their denomination or anything like that. We bury each body with respect.”
“Our mission is to accord a dignified Christian burial to all those who die of Covid-19 infections as they cannot afford to get a dignified burial because of restri-ctions,” the priest told UCA News on April 28.
The government has imposed strict protocols for burials such as trained personnel to handle bodies, protective gear for workers and sanitization of ambulances before and after carrying bodies.
Church officials say the poor cannot arrange money for the sudden expenses and may leave bodies in hospitals to be cremated in government facilities without any funeral prayers. “We seek out those who cannot bury their dead. On average we get 15 and we bury them all before 11 at night,” Father Royan said. Joe, a psycho-logy graduate student, said the gravediggers start work as early as 4am and burials start around 10am as bodies arrive from 9.30am.