Among the debris and devastation caused by earthquakes earlier this year at the border of Turkey and Syria, a symbol of hope for worshippers of both Christianity and Islam remained standing.
In a Feb. 6 Facebook post, Jesuit priest Father Antuan Ilgit shared photos of a Virgin Mary statue that survived the destruction of Annunciation Cathedral in Alexandretta, a Turkish city. This cathedral is the main church of the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia, according to Catholic News Agency.
“I brought the image of the Virgin Mary from the Cathedral, this image will be our strength and with her we will face everything,” Ilgit said, per a translation of his post.
KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia, Pa., reported last month that the 7.8-magnitude earthquake flattened portions of Turkey and Syria. At that time, both countries were “still in chaos, with at least 50,000 people confirmed dead,” said the outlet.
After the 7.8-magnitude quake, another followed “approximately nine hours later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake located around 59 miles to the southwest,” said the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. Aftershocks from the quakes continued in March, the organization added.
According to United Nations Crisis Relief, the earthquakes created “one of the worst disasters this century,” and have “impacted millions of people and left thousands homeless.”
In an April 10 post from Ilgit about Easter ceremonies, he mentioned earthquakes again.
Fox News Digital referred to the statue’s survival as a “miracle,” and Fr.
Jeffrey Kirby, pastor of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Indian Land, S.C., told the outlet that it is “spiritual testimony to the shared affection of Christians and Muslims for the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
A U.S. Department of State report issued last year said that the Turkish government estimates 99% of the country’s population is Muslim.
UN Crisis Relief said that survivors of the quakes were left without shelter, food or water at the peak of winter. Humanitarian efforts to help those impacted by the quakes are ongoing.
Related
Related
