A dozen rifle-toting soldiers guarded a small community hall as day broke in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Batticaloa on Sunday morning.
Around 9 a.m. local time — roughly the same time a suicide bomber killed 29 of their fellow parishioners at the evangelical Zion Church two weeks ago — worshippers streamed silently into the hall.
Survivors of the attack on Easter Sunday ambled in on crutches or with an eye patch. Some clutched bibles. Many wiped away their tears.