A group of Christians from various Christian denominations travelled to the tomb of Akash Bashir, the young Pakistani Salesian who gave his life in 2015 to stop a terrorist attack at his church, as part of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Bashir was born into a low-income family in Pakistan on June 22, 1994. He studied at Lahore’s Don Bosco Technical Institute. On March 15, 2015, Bashir found out that someone attempting to enter the chapel had explosives hidden beneath his clothing. He attempted to prevent him from entering. “I will die, but I will not allow you to enter the church,” Bashir said, holding the terrorist with his arms. The terrorist exploded the bombs killing himself, Bashir and two others. Bashir saved hundreds of people from dying during the Mass with his courageous act.
According to the Vatican news agency Fides, Servant of God Akash Bashir is regarded as a martyr by all in Pakistan, a country with a strong Islamic culture. “His sacrifice, giving his life to protect the innocent people praying in St. John Church in Lahore, transcends the boundaries of the Church and stands as a bridge for interreligious dialogue with the Muslim community,” Fides reported.
During this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an ecumenical prayer service was held at his burial site, where participants “commended the lives of Christians in Pakistan to the intercession of this young man.”