The Hall of St. Elias Monastery in Maarat Saidnaya, Rural Damascus, is Back to Life
Since the beginning of the war in Syria, the Middle East Council of Churches has been steadfast in supporting the Syrian community in all its factions through the implementation of several humanitarian programs in various Syrian provinces, under the slogan "Service with Dignity." Believing in the words of His Beatitude Late Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, "While some may be destined to kill and destroy, our destiny is to build and remain."
One of the programs implemented by MECC is the “Restoration and Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands. The program aims to restore what the war has destroyed and bring hope back to the people after years of suffering and displacement.
Among the buildings that the program has worked on restoring is a hall in the Monastery of St. Elias, located in the town of Maarat Saidnaya in Rural Damascus. The hall is used for various church activities such as camps and religious gatherings for different age groups who visit the Monastery from various Syrian provinces.
The hall was put into service immediately after the completion of the restoration work, and the number of beneficiaries from its restoration reached approximately 1800 individuals who visited the Monastery between May and October of last year.
The Monastery is affiliated with the Patriarchate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and the restoration of the hall represents the second collaboration between this Patriarchate and MECC. In 2021, the restoration of the Church of St. Paul in Daraya, Damascus countryside, was carried out, which served as a beacon for Christians encouraging them to return to their city after the war ended there.
