A special commemorative Mass was held last night to mark the Ballymurphy and the Springhill-Westrock Massacres.
The families of those killed during the massacres attended Corpus Christi Church for the Mass, which was celebrated by Father Paddy McCafferty.
11 innocent people were murdered by the British Army’s notorious Parachute Regiment in Ballymurphy during 36-hour period in August in 1971.
On July 9th, 1972, the British Army murdered a total of five innocent people in Springhill and Westrock.
At Christmastime, the families are usually joined by people from across the community for a candle-lit commemorative vigil. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the families instead held a private procession of candles from the altar to the shrine dedicated to St Teresa and the victims of the two massacres inside Corpus Christi Church.
Lanters and candles bearing the images of the victims at the altar of Corpus Christi Church 
Addressing those gathered, Fr McCafferty said: “We’re gathered here to remember a terrible injustice – an injustice that continued to cry out, to cry out to heaven. An injustice that is the cause of immeasurable anguish; the Ballymurphy Massacre, and the Springhill-Westrock Massacre. Those two atrocities that were perpetrated on innocent people in our community, whose family members are here with us this evening, and many others are praying with us or joining us through the webcam.”
He continued: “In a very real sense, the justice that you seek is already present because justice is tied to truth and we know the truth of what happened, even if others deny it. They can deny it all they like, but it’s still true.
“Because people refuse to believe the truth doesn’t make the truth any less. But your struggle and your continuing battle is to make that truth acknowledged,” he said.
Describing the massacres, Fr McCafferty stated: “It was murder, it was the slaughter of innocent people.
“That is true, and nothing can alter that truth. It doesn’t take the British government’s say-so or any government’s say-so, we know that it is the truth.
“But what you demand, rightly, is that the truth be acknowledged and that it be seen clearly, because justice demands to be seen, it’s like light. Justice shines forth like light, God’s justice is like light, and it cannot be contained or hidden for long, even though in our time we’re talking 50 years next year”.
He added: “The struggle goes on; it doesn’t matter how long it takes.”
