Thanks to an initiative promoted by Aid to the Church in Need with leaders of local churches and the Holy Father, Christians in Syria feel supported. The project took place during the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, in parishes such as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. The event handed out 6,000 rosaries blessed by Pope Francis, along with a New Testament in Arabic and a cross made from olive wood from the Holy Land.
The rosaries were given to families whose members were killed or kidnapped during the war. More than 480 parishes across Syria gathered to pray, especially for them.
This woman, for example, said she wants a rosary for her nephew, who suffers trauma from being kidnapped during the war. Ever since, he only leaves the house when necessary.
“I would like a rosary for him to keep on his body, to keep him safe, to make him feel better, and hopefully get him out of his condition.”
Aid to the Church in Need calculated that more than 2,000 Christian families have lost one or more family members in the war. Another 800 live with the pain of having a relative kidnapped.
This is why the initiative “Console My People” was launched.
THOMAS HEINE GELDERN
President of Aid to the Church in Need
“During the last years, we have learned that the Syrian Christians have a strong need to move towards reconciliation and forgiveness.
So, the leaders of the local churches, of all the Christian churches, together with ACN, have taken the initiative, 'Console My People.'”
The objective of this initiative, launched by Pope Francis on Aug. 15 in St. Peter's, is to promote concrete gestures of help to Christians in Syria, Catholic or not. In fact, both Catholic and Orthodox archbishops were present at the celebration at the cathedral in Homs. This is just one of the initiatives.
Aid to the Church in Need has been working in Syria since 2011. It has developed 850 projects in the region and financed €38,000,000. It might seem like a lot, but the organization assures there is much work to be done, not only to rebuild the country, but the hearts of its inhabitants.
JRB
T: Rachel Dobrzynski
