Catholics in the eastern Indian state of Odisha are celebrating the ordination of a priest who was a victim of India’s worst anti-Christian violence. Fr Vikash Nayak, 29, who hails from Tiangia village in Kandhamal district, was ordained on November 6 by Archbishop Emeritus William D’Souza of Patna, the apostolic administrator of Buxar Diocese in the neighboring state of Bihar.
He visited his village on Nov. 13 and concelebrated his first Eucharist with local people amid much joy and happiness.
In 2008, Father Nayak’s village witnessed seven casua-lties including a Catholic priest, Father Bernard Digal, during violence that followed the murder of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who was shot dead by Maoist rebels on Aug. 23, the day Janmashtami or the birth of Lord Krishna was being celebrated.
Local Christians including a 13-year-old boy were cornered by irate Hindu mobs, beaten and abandoned at the police station. Then a leader of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or World Assembly of Hindus, made public their names and declared them accused in the killing of the Hindu leader.
The murder was declared as a “Christian conspiracy” and violence was unleashed against the minority community.