One Syrian church has stood up from the rubble this week and held its first service after being destroyed by Islamic State fighters 6 years ago.
According to the report of The New Arab this weekend, the St. Mary's Church in Deir az-Zour, Syria held its service with two dozen Christians in attendance.
The church was destroyed in 2012 when the rebels took the city, causing many inhabitants to flee. However, the Syrian government managed to reclaim the city in November and enabled many people to return back to their homes. Some of the buildings of the city still remain destroyed and other areas do not have water and electricity.
The service was lead by Ignatius Aphrem II, the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch. Muslim clerics were also in attendance for the service.
In his message, the patriarch said "It is an indescribable feeling for us to pray in a nearly-destroyed church, which serves as a consolation for our hearts and a message of hope to the people of the city to comeback and take part in building it anew.'
