First Mass in village of Manipur displaced

On Feast of the  Assumption, a group of Catholics who fled more than a year ago from the ethnic violence that devastated India's northeastern state had the joy of being able to return to celebrate the Eucharist in the new settlement where the Archdiocese of Imphal is building homes for those who have lost everything. Fr. Aimeng's testimony, “A spiritual balm among so much suffering.”

Imphal (AsiaNews) - The altar in the place where bricks are made to build new houses. To try even so to overcome the trauma of the violence suffered in the Indian state of Manipur.

“They are from my village: I have been a priest for 41 years and this was the first Mass in the settlement of the displaced people,"  Fr. Mark Aimeng, a priest from Manipur shares with AsiaNews.

On the Solemnity of the Assumption, together with Deacon Patrick Lal he had the joy of being able to experience the Eucharist again together with the community of displaced people who have found a home in Munpi, one of the villages after these people who lost everything due to the ethnic clashes that began in May 2023 between Meitei and Kuki are trying to get back on their feet.

“Celebrating the first Mass for the displaced people in the village of Munpi was a moment of great joy for me, as well as for the 180 displaced people who attended in the brick shed,” Fr. Aimeng tells AsiaNews.

”They longed for it, and finally the day came. They are all Catholics, coming from Singtom village in Chandel district. Twenty families have settled here in the new village built and blessed by the Archdiocese of Imphal thanks to benefactors who came forward to help them. More families will still come to settle in the coming months.”

They fled on May 29, 2023 from Singngat village. “They had heard that a fearsome group of insurgents from the valley, the Arambai Tengol, was coming closer and closer: there were too many of them to think of resisting,” the priest recalls.

After six days of exile, they received news that their village had been burned without the army doing anything. Out of 72 houses, 45 were reduced to ashes; and other buildings, including the church, were also severely devastated.”

Although the Archdiocese of Imphal is mobilized to provide children's education, food and other essentials in addition to houses, it will take a long time to restore their misery and pain.

“But the presence of priests is an immense spiritual comfort,” Fr. Aimeng concluded. ”Since the day they arrived in the village, I have had many opportunities to visit them and offer them at least this spiritual balm.