Catholic Union Deputy Director, James Somerville-Meikle, comments:
Parliament’s Westminster Hall has seen many visitors over the years – including Presidents, Prime Ministers, and even a Pope – but few have made such a difficult journey as the woman I met on Wednesday.
Margaret Attah had come from Owo in South-West Nigeria to tell her story as part of ACN’s Red Wednesday events. On 5 June 2022, Margaret went to St Francis Xavier’s Catholic Church in Owo to celebrate Pentecost Sunday.
She was in the gallery, singing with the Choir, when gunmen opened fire on those inside. 41 Christians were killed that day, and more than 70 were injured. Margaret was blinded in one eye, and lost both of her legs, simply for attending Mass.
Unlike other visitors to Westminster Hall, Margaret didn’t speak on a grand stage with all the fanfare of a state visit. She sat in her wheelchair in a committee room upstairs as one by one MPs and peers came in to hear her story.
They sat with her for a few minutes each before moving on. Again and again, Margaret spoke with quiet courage about the terrible events of that day and why it is so important that the UK Government takes a stand.
There is unlikely to be a plaque or statute to mark Margaret’s visit, but the memory will stay in the minds of all those who meet her that day.