2011 — Nigeria's Christmas Day Bombings

On Christmas Day, 2011, a bomb struck St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Nigeria, killing worshippers as they left morning service. The timing and the place gave the attack a particular cruelty: families who had gathered to celebrate the holiest morning of their year were struck as the service ended and they stepped back into the day.

Boko Haram claimed the attack — part of a wave of violence against Christians that forced thousands of families from their homes. The entry in this almanac is kept as an act of remembrance: on Christmas, we remember the victims, and honor the families still seeking healing. Some dates in December are for celebration; this one asks to be kept quietly, in memory.