Rebuilding Iraq's Churches
In the aftermath of ISIS’s occupation of much of Iraq, many of Iraq’s churches lie in ruins. Aid to the Church in Need has been at the forefront in helping to reconstruct Iraq’s churches. It has been announced that during his visit to Iraq, Pope Francis will visit one of these churches.
By ACN Staff
Al-Tahira Church after ISIS. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
In 2014, ISIS overran the ancient Assyrian Christian city of Qaraqosh in northern Iraq. Qaraqosh is located very close the regional hub of Mosul. The Christians there were forced to flee to territory controlled by Iraq’s Kurdish regional government. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) helped provide humanitarian relief to the Christians in the refugee camps in the Kurdish controlled areas. In 2017, Qaraqosh and Mosul were liberated from the control of ISIS. The damage had in many ways already been done. Mosul and Qaraqosh were left in ruins. Most of the Christians’ houses were destroyed and so too were their churches.
Al-Tahira Church under reconstruction. (Credit: Ahssan Gage/Aid to the Church in Need)
One of the churches to be left in ruins, was the historic Al-Tahira Church in Qaraqosh belonging to the Syriac Catholic Church. After ISIS left the city in 2017, the church was virtually completely destroyed. ACN talked a local Syriac Catholic priest, Fr Ammar Yako, who is charge of reconstructing the church. Fr. Ammar describes his feelings when he first saw the church after it was liberated from ISIS:
“When I saw the church destroyed and burnt, I first felt a great sadness. It was so sad to see the house of God empty and destroyed like that. But at the same time I felt joy and happiness to go back to the city and re-enter the church. So there was joy and sorrow at the same time.”
Al-Tahira Church in Qaraqosh is one of the most historic churches in the area. The church was originally complete in 1948, with the construction having begun in 1932. Fr. Ammar tells us that the local Christian population had helped with the construction of the church as volunteers. It was a physical embodiment of the faith of the local Syriac Catholic population. The church therefore holds a special place in the hearts of the local people. Fr. Ammar explains how he felt when asked to lead the reconstruction team:
Al-Tahira Church under reconstruction. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
“When the bishop asked me to lead the reconstruction team, it was a very happy moment for me because I remembered all those people who helped in the past to build the church, our parents and grandparents; I felt united with all those who shared their faith.”
The reconstruction work began in 2019. The project was sponsored by ACN and is now nearing the end of the reconstruction. This means so much to the local Christians. The major issues they face, Fr. Ammar explains, is emigration and the security situation in Iraq. To help with this, ACN initially helped reconstruction the houses of the local Christians, so they would have somewhere to stay in their historic homes. The local Catholics soon asked if there was a possibility to help with the reconstruction of the church, which ACN has committed to sponsoring.
In late 2020, it was announced that the Holy Father will be visiting Iraq in early March 2021. ACN spoke with local Christians, who expressed their hope that Pope Francis will visit Al-Tahira Church in Qaraqosh. It has now been announced that Pope Francis will visit Al-Tahira Church on 7th March. Fr. Ammar tells us what the Papal visit means to the local Catholics:
Fr. Ammar Yako next to Al-Tahira Church’s belltower. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
“It is great to be here at this moment in Qaraqosh to welcome our Pope. When it was announced that the Pope would visit Iraq and Qaraqosh, I felt very happy to be able to welcome the Holy Father here, in this church, in this city, and share our faith together. The Pope can help us to live our faith in these times, and we can show him what our life is like as Christians here in Qaraqosh, in Iraq.”
Fr. Ammar finished his interview by thanking ACN and our benefactors:
“I would like to thank ACN for all it has done for us since we were displaced. When we fled from all the cities to Kurdistan, ACN supported us for three years. I thank all the benefactors for their help. When we returned to Qaraqosh, they also helped us with the reconstruction of houses and churches, and many other needs. Thank you very much and God bless you. We hope that together we can show the world our Christian faith… In the current situation we still need the help of organisations, and especially ACN, for the many needs of the churches in Qaraqosh. Please continue to help us and give our community hope that we can continue to live here in Qaraqosh.”
This Lent, ACN invites you to join us in prayer with Iraq’s Christians, that Christians in Iraq and through out the Middle East may be allowed to practice their faith in peace. If you want to learn about Iraq and the Papal visit please click on the link below to visit ACN’s Lenten Campaign page to find out more about our work.