Almost exactly nine years after hundreds of thousands of Christians were forced to flee their homes due to ISIS occupation of their land, efforts to rebuild lives and infrastructure continue. Aid to the Church in Suffering has just helped complete one of these projects in the city of Dohuk, Iraq.
On August 6, 2014, the world watched in horror as ISIS jihadists stormed Iraq’s Nineveh Plains, forcing hundreds of thousands of Christians to flee their ancestral land for their lives.
Many of those who managed to escape made their way to the relative safety of Kurdistan, settling mainly in Erbil, but also in other large cities in Iraq, such as Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk and Dohuk. After the defeat of ISIS, some returned to their villages, but a considerable number chose to stay where they now call home.
Some 1,450 Catholic families currently live in Dohuk, as well as many Orthodox Christians. Most Catholics are Chaldeans, but an estimated one third are Syriacs. To better serve this community, the diocese broke ground on a large pastoral center in 2019. Construction, however, has been slow: even though Dohuk is better off financially than many of the surrounding cities, the diocese had trouble raising funds.
Following a visit to Dohuk in March 2022, and seeing first-hand the needs and plans of the diocese, Aid to the Suffering Church (ACN) approved an aid package that allowed the local Church to go ahead with construction and complete the project. The completed pastoral center was finally inaugurated on July 8 by the current Bishop Azad Shaba, who has led the diocese since 2021.
The ground floor of this new three-story building will be dedicated to diocesan activities, such as Radio Maria, a listening center, the Mother Teresa Fraternity for the Poor and the Sick, a museum and archives, as well as an office to receive the guests. The first floor has rooms for the activities of the Christian Education Institute and the diocesan school, among others. And the second floor will be the permanent residence of the bishop and eleven priests.
In a speech at the inauguration ceremony, Bishop Azad Shaba thanked his predecessor and all those who have worked on the project, as well as the donors who have helped make it a reality. ACN was singled out by the bishop for his contribution, which is but the latest in a long and fruitful history of cooperation with the Christian communities in Iraq, and in Dohuk in particular.
ACN is committed to helping Iraqi Christians stay in their homeland and rebuild their lives, devastated by the ISIS occupation. For many who were forced to flee to Dohuk nine years ago, the new pastoral center is a sign of hope for a better future.
—Felipe d’Avillez
2023-08-11 19:27:29
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