{"id":297989,"date":"2019-04-30T06:35:21","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T10:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=297989"},"modified":"2019-04-30T06:35:21","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T10:35:21","slug":"courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/","title":{"rendered":"Courage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>
Via Pixabay\/Public Domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

From the AP:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants launched suicide attacks that killed over 250 people.<\/p>\n

The trucks stopped first, soldiers digging through crates and produce. Buses disgorged their passengers. Cars lined up single file so soldiers could open their hoods to inspect engine blocks and pull everything out of trunks.<\/p>\n

The reason became clear soon after, as the sound of hymns filled the air of Thannamunai.<\/p>\n

The small village in eastern Sri Lanka held likely the first Mass since Catholic leaders closed all their churches for fear of further attacks. Under incredibly tight security, worshippers watched a priest be ordained as they hoped for a future when Mass wouldn\u2019t require hundreds of troops armed with assault rifles to defend it.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople wanted to celebrate Mass, they wanted to participate in this, but they \u2014 even myself \u2014 were afraid,\u201d Father Norton Johnson told Associated Press journalists who witnessed the Mass. \u201cHowever, security personnel gave us good protection.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Read it all.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

View a slideshow of the ordination Mass here.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the AP:\u00a0 The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants launched suicide attacks that killed over 250 people. The trucks stopped first, soldiers digging through crates and produce. Buses disgorged their passengers. Cars lined up single file so soldiers could open […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":289425,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11225,42,45],"tags":[12442],"class_list":["post-297989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-persecution","category-priests","category-ripped-from-the-headlines","tag-sri-lanka"],"yoast_head":"\nCourage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From the AP:\u00a0 The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Courage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From the AP:\u00a0 The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Deacon's Bench\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-04-30T10:35:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/56\/2018\/08\/cross-1979473_1920.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Deacon Greg Kandra\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Deacon Greg Kandra\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/\",\"name\":\"Courage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-04-30T10:35:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-04-30T10:35:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#\/schema\/person\/7466606aa54639bf56a17705dcfc0970\"},\"description\":\"From the AP:\u00a0 The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Courage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/\",\"name\":\"The Deacon's Bench\",\"description\":\"Where a Roman Catholic deacon ponders the world\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#\/schema\/person\/7466606aa54639bf56a17705dcfc0970\",\"name\":\"Deacon Greg Kandra\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7332f32e3041fc2061e292186274b171?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7332f32e3041fc2061e292186274b171?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Deacon Greg Kandra\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/author\/deacon-greg-kandra\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Courage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest","description":"From the AP:\u00a0 The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Courage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest","og_description":"From the AP:\u00a0 The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/","og_site_name":"The Deacon's Bench","article_published_time":"2019-04-30T10:35:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/56\/2018\/08\/cross-1979473_1920.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Deacon Greg Kandra","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Deacon Greg Kandra","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/","name":"Courage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-04-30T10:35:21+00:00","dateModified":"2019-04-30T10:35:21+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#\/schema\/person\/7466606aa54639bf56a17705dcfc0970"},"description":"From the AP:\u00a0 The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/courage-sri-lanka-church-holds-first-mass-since-bombings-and-ordains-a-priest\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Courage: Sri Lanka Church Holds First Mass Since Bombings and Ordains a Priest"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/","name":"The Deacon's Bench","description":"Where a Roman Catholic deacon ponders the world","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#\/schema\/person\/7466606aa54639bf56a17705dcfc0970","name":"Deacon Greg Kandra","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7332f32e3041fc2061e292186274b171?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7332f32e3041fc2061e292186274b171?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Deacon Greg Kandra"},"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/author\/deacon-greg-kandra\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}