Patriarch Aphrem II Visits Churches, Mosques in Deir Ezzor

DEIR EZZOR– Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All East and Supreme Leader of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Mar Ignatius Aphrem II, paid a visit on Saturday to the province of Deir Ezzor.

The Patriarch toured a number of churches and mosques in the city, witnessing the scale of destruction that targeted places of worship at the hands of Daesh terror organization, SANA reported.

  Later, he presided upon a mass at the Church of Virgin Mary in Deir Ezzor city, and delivered a sermon in which he spoke about the resilience of Deir Ezzor in the face of terrorist attacks and the 3-year siege imposed on the city by Daesh, praying to God to preserve Syria, restore its security and safety, and keep it united and peaceful.

Afterwards, the Patriarch and Deir Ezzor Governor, Mohammad Ibrahim Samra, inaugurated the Mar Aphram charity infirmary which contains several clinics and a pharmacy.

They also toured the city’s neighborhoods and witnessed the destruction inflicted upon it by terrorist groups.