Saidnaya Monastery Attacked

It is being reported that Syrian rebels have attacked the Antiochian Orthodox Church's world famous Saydnaya Monastery, firing shells at the pilgrimage center that fortunately did not explode upon impact. (Their failure to explode is being credited as a miracle of the Mother of God, to whom Saydnaya is dedicated.) More (in Greek) here.

There are concerns that as the Syrian uprisings continue Syria's religious minorities, who have enjoyed equal rights under the secular Baathist rule of President Bashar al-Assad, will increasingly become the targets of the anti-Assad rebels. Please keep Syria and its peoples in your prayers!

In Memoriam: Mother Christina (Baz) of Saidnaya

Mother Christina (Baz), abbess of the patriarchal Antiochian Orthodox Monastery of Our Lady of Saydnaya in Saydnaya, Syria, has fallen asleep in the Lord. Mother Christina was born in 1934 and joined the sisterhood at Our Lady of Saydnaya at the age of nine after the death of her father, eventually being elected abbess in 2006. She reposed two days ago on 21 June, the feast of St. Ephraim of Antioch.

The funeral services for Mother Christina were served at Our Lady of Saydnaya Monastery, with several hierarchs and clergy concelebrating. A representative of the Syriac Orthodox Church, patriarchal auxiliary Metropolitan Mor Dionysios (Yuhanon), was also present. More (in Arabic) here and here.