www.acnuk.org/syria ACN’s Lifeline to Syria Since 2010… SYRIA

6-PAGE % SPECIAL 738 80 REPORT ACN projects have of ACN aid has provided been completed emergency help 127 15% reconstruction projects of ACN emergency (homes, churches, etc.) help is milk aid HELP IN ACTION: Youngsters in Marmarita, in the Valley of the Christians, near Homs, receive gifts funded by ACN

Masses said through © Ismael Martínez Sánchez/ACN Mass stipends 50,000 young people supported 87,000 (30 every day)

MILK: Youngsters urgently need milk and ACN has promised to provide it This little girl and her mother ACN has responded with the ‘Drop of New ACN are among thousands who Milk’ programme. The milk of have turned to ACN desperate Up and running in Aleppo and for milk. Damascus, ACN has just approved plans Syria Projects: Give them this day Although security in many parts of to roll out the scheme in and around your own Syria has improved, the economic crisis Homs and Hama. DAMASCUS: Help for 200 sick people is so serious that soaring costs and lack So much more milk is urgently © Ismael Martínez Sánchez/ACN HOMS: Milk for babies, toddlers and children of supplies mean milk is too expensive needed. Please help. LATTAKIA: Repair of St Antony’s Church, Bakto their daily bread kindness for most families. One young family we met in Damascus VALLEY OF THE CHRISTIANS (HOMS): For young children – especially babies told us: “Without your help, life would be Shelter for displaced families Back from Syria, ACN’s – this is catastrophic. almost impossible.” John Pontifex Rebuilding St George’s ALEPPO: Programme for trauma victims aged between shows how you are offering help and hope Church and School in three and 15 Homs Old City HAMA, HOMS and YABROUD: CROSS OF HOPE: St George’s Greek Orthodox Church, Homs Old City, Mass stipends for Melkite priests as seen through the remains of nearby St George’s School Working for a future for Christians HOMS DISTRICT: Rebuilding of 1,280 homes “Only thanks to you can we shelter and pastoral support. WHEN extremists seized Maaloula near Damascus continue our mission here. We But sadly the needs go on – nearly – home to ancient shrines – the damage they left THREAD OF HOPE: Sr Annie are passionate about helping two-thirds of Syria’s 18.2 million behind meant many believed it was game over for Demerjian with Takla al Safadi, the children but, without your population lack the basics to the revival of a Church community who speak the 26, at the ACN-funded factory Christianity in Syria: which provides work for compassion, we would be lost. survive on their own. Aramaic language of Christ. women returning to the You are always in our prayers.” Please continue to give the And yet, with your help, the community is coming back ancient town of Maaloula A heritage worth The words of Sister Samia, who faithful in Syria their daily bread by to life. cares for nearly 80 children with supporting a fresh crop of urgent Key to this is a small clothes factory, an essential income learning difficulties in Homs city ACN projects, providing a roof over generation project for returnee families. preserving (see story inside) – one of countless their heads, rebuilding desecrated Sister Annie Demerjian, a mainstay of Syria’s Christian messages of thanks we received on churches, providing milk for babies community, has helped set up the factory with ACN’s help and People from Syria were, according to Church tradition, your behalf during our trip to Syria. and toddlers, and support for now more than 20 women work there. present at the first Pentecost In this report, we mark the children’s education. The women proudly show off the fruits of their labours – completion of 738 projects As one church leader said: T-shirts, shirts, underwear and bags. The first time Jesus’ followers were called Christians was in Syria undertaken by ACN since the “Nearly 80 percent of our people One of them, Takla al Safadi, 26, says: “Maaloula is Syria is mentioned about 300 times in the Bible A deacon stands in St Elian’s Monastery, beginning of the war in 2011 – food suffer extreme poverty. Who can al-Qaryatayn, which was desecrated by A girl prays in a church in Homs Old City where we belong. It is our history; our ancestors left St Paul converted to Christianity in Syria (especially milk), medicine, education, we turn to but you?” Daesh (ISIS) © Ismael Martínez Sánchez/ACN us this inheritance. “We don’t want to leave but how can we stay if we don’t find work – so thank you for all you are doing to help us.” Aid to the Aid to the 12-14 Benhill Avenue, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4DA Reports and photographs (unless otherwise stated) Helping the suffering Church today Church in Need Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifical Foundation of the Catholic Church by John Pontifex © Aid to the Church in Need (July 2019) Church in Need and a registered charity in England and Wales (1097984) and Scotland (SC040748) Printed by Cliffe Enterprises, Eastbourne BN22 8UY 0345 646 0110 @acn_uk @acnuk www.acnuk.org/syria www.acnuk.org www.acnuk.org HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: Razan, 21, outside the home ACN repaired for her and her family in Homs Old City © Ismael Martínez Sánchez/ACN

Sr Samia from Homs with a little girl you are helping Looking after the most vulnerable Homes raised up THANKS to you, young people manager Sister Samia relocated the in Homs city – many with young people to other buildings. severe learning difficulties – Since the defeat of Daesh (ISIS), from the ashes Fawzia, 94, back in her home have been able to continue ACN has helped the centre get back receiving help and support, on its feet by providing a generator. even at the height of Ongoing costs – especially funding teachers, some of whom provide Fr George: Razan, aged 21, greets us with Razan’s home and a few like it. Fawzia takes me by the hand and says: Razan explains how – astonishingly – to go back home and ACN has agreed the conflict. one-on-one support – put enormous a big smile. So determined were she and her “After the bombs fell, we had to leave she kept up her university pharmacy a plan with Church leaders in Homs to Nearly 80 youngsters, many with pressure on the centre. “Welcome to our home,” she says. family to return that they begged ACN to and every day for more than six years I studies throughout the war. rebuild 300 homes – with a further 980 Down’s syndrome, attend the Seneve Showing us round, Sister Samia Faith undaunted We are visiting Homs’ Wadi al Sayeh take advantage of the improved security prayed for our return. She said: “I love Homs. I can’t go far envisaged in a second phase. centre in Homs city where they learn said: district – formerly on the frontline of to rebuild their home. “I honestly believed that at my away for long without feeling homesick. ACN’s Syria projects leader Father skills such as basic numeracy and “Only thanks to you can we the conflict. Everything including the kitchen sink age I would never be able to go back I didn’t mind where we were during Halemba said: “This home rebuilding literacy and enjoy singing and dance. continue our mission here. by fundamentalism Not a single building is free of has been replaced. home. And yet here I am. Thank you, our displacement but, despite all the programme is one of the most critical When Homs came under heavy “We are passionate about helping bullet holes, smashed windows We meet Razan’s father, Fawzi, and thank you.” challenges, it is far better being back.” steps forward in the recovery of the bombardment and the centre was the children but without your EYEBALL TO EYEBALL WITH EXTREMISTS: Father George narrowly escaped with his life

and derelict roofs… except for grandmother, Fawzia, aged 94. Courage clearly runs in the family. Many more Christian families want Christian community in Homs.” seized by extremists, the founder and compassion we would be lost.” The young extremist cocked Recounting his close shave with his gun and told the priest not death, Father George told me he had to move. gone back to secure the release of up Father George looked the teenager in the to 12 parishioners, fearing they would The stones the extremists rejected eye and said: “Don’t you recognise me?” be killed unless he interceded on Only the week before, Father George, their behalf. Standing alongside them in ACN help – with all the families a parish priest in the Valley of the In the weeks that followed, painstaking their ancient church, I was thanking God for their re- Christians near Homs, had risked his negotiations resulted in freedom for about to witness a moment the settlement back in their village. life negotiating with militants for the the parishioners and eventually Father villagers had dreamed about for Each family was given a tablet of lad’s release. George escaped too. years on end. stone inscribed with ‘Jesus is my Unmoved, the extremist frogmarched For years, Father George believed he They had lived in painful exile from rock’ to mark the occasion. the priest into a car and drove off at would never go back. Al Husn village in the idyllic Valley Presenting the tablets, ACN speed into the darkness. And yet here we were back in the of the Christians, near Homs, after Middle East projects co-ordinator Keeping his cool, after a time Father village. Not only had Fr George been the region was seized by gun-toting Father Andrzej Halemba told the George asked the lad if he could stop the reinstated as parish priest but his church Islamist militants. families: “Always remember car so he could use the toilet. was restored, as were the villagers’ But, with the Islamists forced out, that you are never alone, that Seizing his chance, Father George fled homes – a project completed by ACN. ACN had rebuilt more than 50 homes God is always with you and that – but rather than running to safety, he Father George said: “If I learned torched by the retreating extremists. the friends and benefactors of returned to the village and by morning anything from all this it is firstly that God was incarcerated by the militant group exists and secondly that the gates of hell REBUILDING BRICK BY BRICK: And here we were in Al Husn’s St ACN are always praying and SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING: Parishioners in the Valley of the Christians, Ayoub Mamari (far right) and his wife, Maria, celebrate their home-coming with ACN’s Middle East projects George’s Church – itself rebuilt with supporting you.” near Homs, thank God for ACN’s help to rebuild their homes now occupying the area. will never prevail against the Church.” co-ordinator Father Andrzej Halemba (far left), and ACN’s John Pontifex

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