Where are all the Christian Syrian Refugees?

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ — Christians and other religious minorities in Syria have been targeted for death, sexual slavery, displacement, cultural eradication and forced conversion by ISIS.

Many of these persecuted Christians hope to escape to the United States. They have been largely excluded, with the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration admitting to officials at The Barnabas Fund, a Christian relief agency, “There is no way that Christians will be supported because of their religious affiliation.”

Read more

Flood of Iraqi Christian Refugees Renewing the Church In Syria

Syria has facilitated the reception of Iraqi refugees. Thousands of them have come, above all to Damascus, and hundreds of them continue to come to flee from death and the violence they have suffered since 2003. U.N. agencies organize their exodus to other more clement skies. While waiting for their visas, these refugees stay in Damascus, at times for two or three years and sometimes more.

These well-formed Christians, fervent and practicing, take refuge in Christian faith and hope. They fill our churches, invigorate our parishes and reinforce the Christian faith in Syria, offering new encouragement to our parishes.

Iraqi refugees take part assiduously in daily Mass despite the fact they come from far away, on foot or public transport.

On asking for confession before receiving Communion, these refugees have accelerated the return to the confessional which now has waiting queues.

Their devotion to the saints and veneration of the Virgin has relaunched the production of candles and the niches of the saints both within and outside the churches are illuminated day and night.

Their children are numerous in the catechism and first Communion classes. Young people are involved in the choirs and liturgies of different churches.

Read more

Editor’s note: It’s true. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.