Al-Suqaylabiyah, Syria, May 16, 2022
Photo: Facebook
His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch presided over the consecration of the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in the Syrian city of Al-Suqaylabiyah on Friday, May 6.
The festive celebration was the culmination of 30 years of work on the cathedral, reports the Antiochian Patriarchate.
Al-Suqaylabiyah is a western Syrian city in the Hama Governorate with a population of about 17,000, the majority of whom profess holy Orthodoxy. The city and surrounding areas have been the scene of serious fighting, with a local militia dedicated to defending the town against Islamic terrorists.
Photo: Facebook
The Patriarch was warmly received along the road leading to the city by Orthodox faithful bearing Church flags and banners, olive branches, and palm fronds “as an expression of their indescribable joy and confirmation of Suqaylabiyah’s rebirth and victory.”
After the reception, Pat. John celebrated the consecration of the cathedral followed by the first Divine Liturgy on the newly consecrated altar. He was concelebrated by several other hierarchs of the Antiochian Church, including the local hierarch, His Eminence Archbishop Nicholas of Hama.
In his homily, the Patriarch affirmed that: “The sons of Suqaylabiyah are a great people, a people who believed in their homeland and adhered to their land and dignity, a people vibrant with faith. They wanted to continue and overcome all difficulties, refusing to be afraid. And here is the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul seeing the light of day after years of crises and pain. This indicates that the will to survive is always victorious.”
Abp. Nicholas also spoke about the people’s solidarity in overcoming all suffering to build their cathedral.
Following the service, Pat. John served a panikhida for the souls of those who have died in the fighting in Syria and met with the families of many victims in the cathedral hall.
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