Bishop Indrias Rehmat chose Fr Abid Tanvir, former diocese vicar general, as parish priest. Two catechists were also appointed to work with him. Admired and visited by Muslims, the church named after Saint Anthony was inaugurated last year. The bishop urged the faithful “to make this beautiful church stronger in spirituality.”
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Fear among the Christians of Jaranwala in Pakistan after the August assaults on their churches and homes is still high. After losing their homes nearly a thousand families are even more socio-economically excluded. To restore hope and confidence during Advent, the Cecil&Iris Chaudhry Foundation organized a Christmas fair for the victims of Islamic fundamentalists' rampage
The bishop has organised weekly prayer meetings and seminars. Pope Francis also spoke today about the tragic situation in Gaza when he met with the participants in the Consulta of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. After 10 hours of fighting, Israel says it has taken control of areas in the north of the Strip.
On a single day in August, a mob of 7,000 Muslims staged a rampage in Jaranwala, the capital of Jaranwala Tehsil located in the Faisalabad District of Punjab, targeting Christians after allegations that a Christian man had defaced a Quran.