Source: WKTV.com
April 23, 2016
On the day the western world celebrated Easter, 65 people in Lahore Pakistan were killed in a suicide bombing at a park, many of the victims, children.
It left parishioners at one local church worrying and wanting to help the victims and their families through a priest who serves much like a missionary in that country, helping others.
Christian Greek Orthodox Priest Father John Tanveer lives less than a mile from the site of the bombing.
He was one of the first people to go to the park after the blasts.
He describes what he saw via a Skype interview with NEWSChannel 2 Anchor Katrina Smith.
"All of a sudden, I heard the noise, a big bang, and I went up and saw that there was really big smoke....I saw many people, especially the children, with blood and broken body pieces, a really horrible situation," Father John said.
He tells us because Christians are a minority in Pakistan, it's difficult for these people to get help and pick up the pieces. It's difficult for them to get basic medical care and food. Many of the victims turn to Father John for help, both spiritual and material.
He said in Pakistan many incidents happen, "Roman Catholic Bishops are killed, priests are killed, myself and my brothers are trying our best to help people," Father John said. "One incident recently, happened in December. We were sleeping, at about midnight, I can say about 30 to 40 people came to our house, banged our door down, broke our windows, and my legs were injured."
The small St. John of Kronstadt Russian Orthodox Church in Utica shares the patron saint, St. John of Kronstadt, with the small church in Lahore. In fact, Utica's church was the first church in the world to honor that particular saint more than a half century ago. Last year, priests from all churches bearing that saint's name, gathered for a pilgrimage to Russia. That's where the Very Reverend Arch priest Michael Taratuchin, of Utica, met Father John.
Father Michael said when one of his parishioners alerted him of the proximity of Father John to the Easter bombing site, he knew it was their duty to help.
"Father John is in a country where Christianity is persecuted," Taratuchin said. "They live under the threat of persecution. We see how on the Western Easter, Islamic fundamentalists attacked Christian communities," he said.
Tamara DeBernardis also attended the pilgrimage to Russia where she met Father John. She says she attempted to make contact right after the attacks.
"I tried to send him both a message through Facebook and an email," she said. "He responded to both and it took another day before I heard from him. I said, 'Please tell me you're okay.'"
He told us via Skype, that while he is okay, many Christians in Pakistan come to him seeking help, some in need of help burying their loved ones, some in need of basic necessities.
He told us there is much for him to do now, but he says after speaking with us he feels there is hope and he doesn't feel alone.
If you would like to make a monetary donation to the fund for the Greek Orthodox St. John of Kronstadt Church in Lahore, Pakistan, you can send a check to:
THE ST. JOHN OF KRONSTANDT MEMORIAL FUND, INC.
PO BOX 56
UTICA, NY 13503-0056
