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The Catholic community in Negombo will conduct a special Prayer Service for justice to prevail with regard to the Rev. Fr. Aba Costa assassination. The Prayer Service will be held at 5 pm on October 3 at the grounds of St. Peter's Church, Kehelkankade, Negombo.

Issuing a Media Release in this regard Archbishop of Colombo the Most Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis states.

The Catholic community in Sri Lanka, especially those living in Negombo and the suburbs, are highly perturbed about the assassination of Rev. Fr. Aba Costa and the unwarranted delay in bringing the culprits to book.

Fr. Aba Costa - ordained a priest in 1958 was a well-known priest who has served in a number of parishes in the area. He has served in Pamunugama, Tudella, Bolawalana, Katuvapitiya, Pitipana, Hanwella and finally at Tillanduwa, where he met with his death. He was a Sinhala scholar, lyricist, writer and preacher. Among his primary concerns was the need to promote inculturation and the indigenization in the Church.

He was also an eloquent preacher and campaigned strongly against corruption and injustice in society. He was very concerned about the moral degradation in society and the causes that led to it especially in Negombo. These were subjects about which he incessantly preached and alerted the faithful.

His assassination took place nearly two years ago and the custodians of the law have been dragging their feet as regards the inquiries into this crime. People have had no confidence in the inquiries made at the very inception. They always suspected that there was more to it than what was made to appear. People hardly believed that the two suspects who were alleged to have committed the crime were the real culprits.

Now that fresh inquires have been initiated and other suspects have been arrested, it is our wish and prayer that justice will be done through due process. It is not our intention to accuse-anyone who is innocent, nor defame anyone who is not guilty. But those found guilty after due process should be dealt with severely in the interests of law and order in the country, without fear or favour and irrespective of their personal or social standing. We appeal to our Faithful to extend their fullest cooperation to the lawful authorities in respect of the inquiries being made presently and to pray earnestly that justice would finally prevail.

The Catholic community in Negombo and the suburbs will conduct a special Prayer Service for this intention at 5.00 p.m. on Friday 03rd October 2003 at the grounds of St. Peter's Church, Kehelkankade, Negombo. The attendance of our priests, religious and lay faithful is warmly solicited.

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