For the first time in thirteen years, Christian worshippers have gathered for a communal prayer at the Church of Saint George the Victorious in the Syrian village of al-Ghassaniyah, near Jisr al-Shughur in Idlib Province. The service, held under the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, marked a powerful symbol of return and renewal in a region ravaged by years of war.

According to Syriac Press, the event was led by Metropolitan Athanasios (Fahd) of Latakia and attended by representatives of various Christian denominations in Syria — including the Latin, Evangelical, and Franciscan churches — as well as monastics and laypeople. Prayers were offered for the revival of local communities that had been deserted during the conflict.

“We have waited a long time for this day. Today we are here again — and we will stay to serve this land,” Metropolitan Athanasios said during the service.

The Church of Saint George, along with the nearby Catholic Church of the Assumption, suffered heavy damage during the war. While the outer walls of the Saint George church remain standing, its interior frescoes were destroyed by fire following shelling.

Before the outbreak of war in 2011, al-Ghassaniyah was home to Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians living side by side. Local media report that on the day of the prayer, believers once again gathered at the church’s ruins — many returning to their native village for the first time in more than a decade.

Photo: Syriac Press