Just one week after the blood bath at St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Anambra where a gunman opened fire on worshippers during an early morning service, the church has resumed normal services.

After the attack which claimed the lives of 13 people and left about 20 with various degrees of injury, the church was sealed.

A News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, correspondent, who attended the church service, reports that there was an initial low turn-out of parishioners but the attendance later picked up.

NAN reports that the service was attended by officials of the state government led by the Secretary to the State Government, Solo Chukwulobelu.

Also, present at the Mass was Aloysius Ikegwuonu, popularly called ‘Bishop” and one of the chieftains of the village, who was alleged to have been the target of the August 6 attack.

Mr. Ikegwuonu, who lost his father in the attack, refused to talk to journalists, but one of his aides said his principal would talk at appropriate time. Security operatives were seen in and around the church wielding arms.

In his homily, Jude Onwuaso, the Parish Priest, encouraged parishioners not to be deterred by August 6 attack, adding that “God is still on the throne”. He said that the slain parishioners were at the right hand of the Almighty.

Some Parishioners told NAN that many of them were yet to overcome the shock of the invasion.

Jude Okoye, a parishioner, said he forced himself to attend church service because of his deep religious understanding that a Christian believer must experience persecution to make heaven.

NAN recalled that a delegation of the federal government led by Minister Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, visited the place on August 12 to condole with the state.

(NAN)