Under the leadership of the benevolent Prelate of the Diocese of Beroea, His Grace Bishop Masis Zobouyan, a pilgrimage was made to Der Zor.
The pilgrimage included Armenian member of the Syrian parliament Jirair Reisyan, the Pontifical Vicar of Jezireh of the Armenian Diocese of Beroea, Rev. Fr. Levon Yegiyayan, a delegation of national figures from the Aleppo and Jezireh regions, representatives of the three traditional parties, as well as spiritual representatives of other Christian communities.
It should be noted that, as representative of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, the Chairman of the Aleppo Regional Board, Karo Shushanyan, participated in the pilgrimage to Der Zor.
During the visit, the members, led by the prelate, toured the surroundings of the ruined Church of the Holy Martyrs in Der Zor, after which a Holy and Immortal Liturgy was offered.
Also present at the Holy Liturgy were the governor, Judge Fadel Najjar, the secretary of the Ba’ath Party, Raed Al Ghadban, and a number of representatives of the military command, other official dignitaries, and representatives of unions and organizations operating in the province.
In his sermon, the prelate prayed to God that He crown the people, army and leadership of Syria with victory in their fiercest struggle against hatred and injustice. He also prayed for the souls of the Armenian martyrs who fell victim to the crimes of Ottoman Turkey.
The source recalls that Turkey perpetrated the most terrible massacres against the defenceless Armenian people, establishing its hatred, its bloodthirstiness and its contempt for the human soul and its right to life.
In turn, the Governor of Der Zor, Judge Fadel Najjar, delivered a speech and pointed to the spirit of love and friendship that unites the Syrian and Armenian peoples, also recalling the crimes of the Turkish regime against the Armenian people, which are the same crimes it attempted to perpetrate against the population of Syria and the Syrian homeland, but it was defeated and its aims were thwarted thanks to the awareness and unity of the people, the leadership and the Syrian army, which was able to cleanse Der Zor of the mercenaries of the Turkish regime and foiled their plans in the region.
It was also noted that the prelate referred to the hospitality of the Syrian people, recalling how Syria and its chivalrous people received the Armenian people who had fled the massacres of Turkey, especially in Der Zor. The prelate wished that God grant Syria complete victory thanks to the wise leadership of President Bashar al-Assad, who was able to remain victorious in the worst war waged against Syria.
The Facebook page of the Diocese of Beroea, which had also announced this earlier, titled this pilgrimage as “A Journey in Confirmation of the Covenant and Claim.”
