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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Syria - Syrian (Greek-Melkite Catholic Patriarchate, Bab-Charqi-Damascus, Syria)

Greek-Melkite Catholic Patriarchate

Greek-Catholic Patriarchate / Batrakiyat al-Rum al-kathooleek / Patriarcat Roum Melkite Catholique / Patriarcat Grec-Catholique / Patriarcat Grec Melkite Catholique
P.O. Box 22249
Bab-Charqi-Damascus
Syria
Tel: 544.65.29, 544.10.30; from other countries including the U.S.: 011.963.11.544.65.29, 011.963.11.544.10.30; from other areas in the country: 11.544.65.29, 11.544.10.30;
Fax: 541.89.66; from other countries including the U.S.: 011.963.11.541.89.66; from other areas in the country: 11.541.89.66
E-mail: gcp@pgc-lb.org
Web site: Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East of Alexandra and of Jerusalem, The official web site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate, in Arabic
Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East of Alexandra and of Jerusalem, The official web site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate, in English

Statement from Their Holinesses and Beatitudes the Patriarchs of Syria, 11 5 2012 (May 11, 2012 on the Web site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East of Alexandra and of Jerusalem, The official web site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate, in English

Final Report of the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, 25 4 2012 (April 25, 2012 on the Web site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East of Alexandra and of Jerusalem, The official web site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate, in English

Call to Fasting and Prayer for Peace in Syria written by His Beatitude, Gregorios III, Patriarch / Batriyark of the cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, of Cilicia, Syria, Iberia, Arabia Mesopotamia, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, of all of Egypt and the entire East, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Bishop of Bishops, the Thirteenth of The Holy Apostles (Patriarcat Grec Melkite Catholique)on the Web site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton, Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States

Emergency Committee Appeal written by His Beatitude, Gregorios III, Patriarch / Batriyark of the cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, of Cilicia, Syria, Iberia, Arabia Mesopotamia, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, of all of Egypt and the entire East, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Bishop of Bishops, the Thirteenth of The Holy Apostles (Patriarcat Grec Melkite Catholique) on the Web site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton, Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States

Patriarchal Vicar

2006, Waiting for a new person

Sayedna / Most Reverend Archbishop Isidor Batikha
1992 to 2006

Archdiocese of Homs, Hama and Yabroud

Metropolite - Sayedna / Most Reverend Archbishop Isidor Batikha
2006 - 2010

Parish

Al Midane - Damascus

St George Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Bab Mousallah
Al Midane - Damascus
Syria
Tel.: 221.07.10; from other countries including the U.S.: 011.963.11.221.07.10; from other areas in the country: 11.221.07.10
The pastor is/was Father Abouna Joseph Bsayliss.
This church is the oldest church in Damascus!

Izra'a (Ezra'a or Isra'a)

St. Elias Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Izra'a (Ezra'a or Isra'a)
Syria
Izra'a (Ezra'a or Isra'a) is situated in the plains of Houran at 80km south of Damascus. Two churches can be seen dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries. One church is St. Elias Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

St. Elias Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Izra'a (Ezra'a or Isra'a)
Syria
Izra'a (Ezra'a or Isra'a) is situated in the plains of Houran at 80km south of Damascus. Two churches can be seen dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries. One church is St. Elias Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

Maarrat Sednaya

Churches
Web site: Maarrat Sednaya, Churches, http://www.maarratsednaya.com/index.php?page=churches

Sanctuaries
Web site: Churches sanctuaries, http://www.maarratsednaya.com/index.php?page=sanctuaries

Soufanieh

Our Lady of Soufanieh is also referred to as Our Lady of Damascus.
The only official and authorized Website is Website dedicated to Our Lady of Soufanieh - Mystic / Mystique: Mirna - Myrna Nazzour, http://www.soufanieh.com/

Female Monastery

La Maison d'Antioche - Dar Antakia - Unity of Antioch Order
Monastère de St-Jacques-le-Mutilé / Mar Ya'coub / Saint James the Mutilated Monastery
Located in Qara, Syria within the in the Diocese of Homs, Hama and Yabroud. Qara is 90 km north of Damascus.
"The convent of St. James in Qara is an ancient structure dating back to the fifth century A.D. There is a female monastic community, led by the Palestinian nun, Sister Agnes Mariam de la Croix, enriched over the years by a religious community of men and families of lay Christians, Sunnis and Alawites. In past months, the monastery was at the center of gunfire and was hit and damaged by the bombing of the regular Syrian army helicopters that probably wanted to hit arms depots placed in trenches or ditches near the monastery, used for supplies of water in the Byzantine period.Lately, the monastery houses and assists refugee families, regardless of their religious affiliation." NEWS.VA Official Vatican Network
Full position Statement of the monastery St James regarding events in Syria. Approved and signed by Bishop, Mgr. Elie Rahal (original in French) http://www.maryakub.org/Article_positions_du_monastere_St_Jacques_le_Mutile_par_rapport_aux_evenements.html

Web site: http://www.maryakub.org/
Tel. Portable/Cell: 94224248; from other countries including the U.S.: 011.963.94224248; from other areas in the country: 94224248
Fax:7852701; from other countries including the U.S.: 011.963.11.7852701; from other areas in the country: 11.7852701
Email: maryakub@gmail.com or deirmaryakub@gmail.com

Mother Agnes Mariam of the Cross / Mère Agnès Mariam de la Croix, Superior
"Born in a refugee camp in Lebanon, Mother Agnes Mariam of the Cross is the daughter of a Lebanese mother and a Palestinian father who fled Nazareth in 1948. In her teen years, she rebelled and parted from her family, travelling continents in search of meaning and context in life. After a period of rebellion and searching she found her purpose in life through the expression of faith and after returning to Lebanon she joined the Carmelite order in 1971. In 1992 she received the blessing and permission of her community to serve the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church in her monastic vocation, travelling to France to study the Syriac and Hebrew monastic traditions. She also has a specialisation in Icons and the study of Iconography. In 1994 she began the work of establishing a new monastic foundation in Syria and thus commenced the restoration of the ruined ancient 6th century Monastery of St. James the Mutilated near Qara in the Diocese of Homs, Syria. Over the last 18 years the Monastery and the order she established there has become an integral part of life in the district serving the local and wider community. In 2010 the monastery welcomed 25,000 visitors both from Syria and the international community. Mother Agnes Mariam is spokesperson for the Catholic Media centre of Homs and a member of the “Mussalaha” Reconciliation Initiative. She is currently travelling in Europe to highlight and promote the initiative." Full personal biography (original in English) http://www.maryakub.org/Article_Temoignage_Mere_Agnes_en.html

Headquarters in Lebannon
Boite Postale 29 / Postal Box 29
Zouk Mikael / Zoukmikaël
Liban / Lebanon
Mobile Telephone: 213039, from other countries including the United States 011.961.3.213039, within the country 3.213039 Fax: 219472, from other countries including the United States 011.961.9.219472 , within the country 9.219472
(1.2068882995)
E-mail: darantakia@hotmail.com

Male Monastery

Mar Sarkis wa Bakhos Monastery / St. Sergius and Bacchus Church
Maaloula/ Ma'loula
Syria
Web site: www.marsarkis.com/
Tel: 7770009; from other countries including the U.S.: 011.963.11.7770009; from other areas in the country: 11.7770009
Fax: 7771099; from other countries including the U.S.: 011.963.11.7771099; from other areas in the country: 11.7771099
E-mail: marsarkis@net.sy
The Superior is Abouna Toufic Eid, B. S.

Images

Saints Sergius and Bacchus' Churches - Syria 3 - El Nasra - Maaloula 1

Saint Sergius and Bacchus (Mar Sarkis)

St. Sergius Church - site of oldest altar

Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 1:53:16 PM by NYer

About our church here in Maaloula, it must be built before 325 A.D. for three reasons:

Infact, the main and first proof is this altar inside made of marble; it has a border semi-circular which is a pagan architecture. Pagans used such borders in their altars to forbid the blood of sacrifices to go on the ground, so they used to make a hole in the middle to drain it properly; they used also to sculpt or design on this border some illustrations of animals to be sacrified. The Church used this architecture at the beginning before it had its own, but with two important differences: christian altars don’t have a hole for blood neither the designs of animals on the border. So our altar here could never be pagan but it was always made by christians with an external pagan form. Now, in 313 A.D. with Costantine the Great, the church began to think how to have its own ecclesiastical architecture to make more difference between pagans and christians, that’s why the first Council of Nicea (today Iznik in Turkey), gathered in 325 A.D., decided not to build anymore altars with a pagan architecture but flat altars. This is the main proof that the church existed before this decision, before 325 A.D

N.B. Just to know that the triangular small hole is not the hole for blood as many people think, but this is the place where christians used to put the relics which consacrate the altar for prayer, and it’s triangular as a symbol of the Holy Trinity.

A second proof is the bishop Eutichius who took part in this Ecumenical Council of Nicea, his name is mentioned as the bishop of st. Sergius in Maaloula.

The third proof is the wood inside the walls; a piece of it was tested in Germany by the radioactive carbon forteen C14, it’s about 2000 years old. This technic was used to hold well the stones in the wall especially during the earthquakes.

Beyond all this, the church was built on the ruines of a pagan temple dedicated to Appolon that was destroyed in the the first christian centuries, after Maaloula became christian grace to saint Thecla disciple of st. Paul. The graved part in the rock, the small door, the corns in the iconostasis and the capitals inside the walls are rests of that pagan temple."

Church of Sts Sergius and Bacchus in Ma'loula destroyed by militants
Ma'loula, September 29, 2013
Image of the altar

Militants have destroyed the ancient Christian Church of Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus in Ma'loula and have stolen or demolished its world-famous icons. A correspondent of ITAR-TASS agency saw it for himself on September 29.

This construction, which was the oldest in the Middle East, had been built in the early 4th century. There was a convent here lately; but after the coming of the terrorists and militants of Al-Nusra Front a month ago the sisters found refuge in the Convent of St. Thecla, Equal-to-the-Apostles, where at the present time they are taking shelter from the militants together with 40 orphaned children. It is still impossible to come up to this convent because of the heavy fire of snipers who do not even spare journalists.

The Church of Sts Sergius and Bacchus became "guilty" because of the building of the "Safir" hotel near it, where earlier numerous Christian pilgrims and tourists used to stay, but then Muslim extremists took their positions there. The Syrian army has almost leveled the hotel to the ground but the militants are still taking cover in its cellars and in neighboring grottos, converted into cells. Where monks used to live in ancient times, now there is sustained artillery fire.

A unique icon of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus painted in the 13th century, which was situated just at the entrance, has been lost forever. The iconostasis and its central icon, painted in the 13th century, have been destroyed together with the icons of the Mother of God and Christ "the Archpastor". The latter always evoked the surprise of researchers because it depicted Christ in a long robe of silk with golden threads which is more typical to Damascus of the 18th century than to the period of the beginnings of Christianity. There is no altar of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus any more. It was semicircular with a low edge—the legacy of pagan altars. Now only debris remains of it.

It is difficult to predict how much of the scientists’ time and strength it will take to calculate all damage; however, in the view of a layman, the church cannot be restored. The main cross fell from the dome, wall paintings were destroyed, shot down and slashed by debris, while the walls themselves were either destroyed or disfigured by holes of shells. At the same time, the militants are continuing to shoot down the remaining church walls with mortar.

According to the report of the soldiers to the ITAR-TASS correspondent, they managed to rescue one icon, though it was damaged by debris as well. It is currently at the house of one Syrian serviceman, and the government bodies are aware of it. But which icon it is, the soldiers could not explain.

In the ancient town of Ma'loula the Syrian army is continuing its clean-up operation against terrorists who have hidden in mountain gorges and are unwilling to leave the town. The military feel certain that the operation will prove successful; however, they say they do not rule out that the militants can out of revenge shoot down not only the Convent of St Thecla, Equal-to-the-Apostles, but also five other Churches of the town whose residents were the last in the world to speak Aramaic. It is possible that some of them will return to their homes, but the former Ma'loula has been lost to mankind forever.

Pravoslavie.ru

30 / 09 / 2013

Dioceses and Cities

An unofficial resource is Opus Libani
Please clink on the Melkite image at the top of the Web page.
Then, a Location side bar with links will appear on the left of the Web page.
On the Location side bar, under the appropriate location, click on dioceses or city.

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is an unofficial Melkite Greek Catholic Web site and has not been reviewed or approved by any Melkite clergy person.
Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center contains a range of World Wide Web sites on Melkite faith, belief, practice, history, etc. Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center does not endorse any World Wide Web site nor takes any responsibility for the contents of any World Wide Web site. Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center offers these links with the understanding that Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center can not vouch for any of the contents on each site. Listing a site does not indicate acceptance nor endorsement of the doctrines / ideas / theology of the World Wide Web site. Please remember that Web sites will change their content and their location. It is the user's responsibility to decide whether or not the content on a particular World Wide Web site is appropriate.

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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