The Inauguration of the Halls of the Lady of Annunciation Church in Dara’a with the Support of MECC and “Kerk in Actie” in the Netherlands
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
With the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios Saad, the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Bosra, Hauran, and Jabal Al-Arab, inaugurated the halls of the Lady of Annunciation Church in the city of Dara’a, after MECC completed its rehabilitation work.
The opening ceremony was attended by the MECC team, the Governor of Dara’a Loae Khareta, in addition to political and judicial figures, the members of the City Council, and a large gathering of residents.
The event began with a Prayer of Thanksgiving led by His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios Saad in the Lady of Annunciation Church, followed by a speech in which he thanked MECC for restoring the Church halls. Then, he made the inauguration and visited the halls with the attendees. As well as, His Eminence visited the office of MECC in Dara’a.
In his speech, His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios Saad said: “If the Lord created the universe and meticulously ordered it, entrusting it to humans to preserve and offer it as a beautiful paradise to the Creator, hence, how much more should we persist to create wonders that reflect God's presence? God is beautiful, and whoever loves God, loves beauty! Dear brethren, we came today to present to you a beauty that is added to the existing beauties in Dara’a Governorate.”
He added, “We gathered today to present to the people of Dara’a a beautiful hall, which we place in the hands of our brother, the Archpriest, Jeryes Rizk, and the Parish Council to serve the people of Dara’a both Muslims and Christians.”
For his part, MECC Dara’a Area Coordinator, Eng. Riad Shtewiy, emphasized that the restoration of the Church halls would “contribute to taking proper care of the youth, guide their spiritual behavior, deepen the Word of God in their lives, and provide them with the necessary education for their spiritual upbringing, making them good and active members of the Church and the country.”
MECC, through its Diakonia and Social Service Department, has been working on the rehabilitation of the halls of the Lady of Annunciation Church as part of the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” program, implemented in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands, aiming to rebuild what the war has destroyed and to uplift humanity.
It is worth noting that the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has been working for four years on this program. During this period, several Church buildings, Monasteries, schools, elderly care homes, and youth centers have been rehabilitated.
These facilities belong to various Christian denominations from different Syrian provinces. The work continues within this program to restore and rehabilitate all Faith-based Social Services and religious infrastructure that were affected by the war in Syria.
