Syrian Christians Wed in Bombed-Out Church

More than 2,000 locals who were driven out of their hometown of Homs, Syria, returned on July 12 to witness a moment of sweet triumph as a young couple married inside the wreckage of their beloved church.

The Daily Mail is reporting on the bitter sweet story of Fadi and Rana, 28, two refugees of the years-long Syrian civil war, who met in a refugee camp. Fadi, a university graduate who was working at a pharmaceutical factory in the city before he was forced to flee, fell in love with Rana while they were both working for the U.N. Refugee Agency.

When they decided to marry, the two wanted the ceremony to be where they had always dreamed it would be – inside their hometown church, St. George’s, an Orthodox church in the Christian Hamidiyah section of Homs.

Unfortunately, when the couple returned to their old neighborhood, they found the church and almost every other building, reduced to rubble. Almost nothing was left of the beautiful St. George church except the old stone walls. Everything else, the roof, the ornate interior, the pews, were all gone.

But that didn’t stop Fadi and Rana from achieving their dream of marrying in their hometown church. Chairs were brought in, white lace bunting draped over the tattered walls, and tall stands of flowers outlined what was once a beautiful center aisle. Guests arrived in the early evening of July 12 and watched Rana enter the church in a beautiful white tulle gown and walk to the remnant of an altar where she was joined to her husband in marriage.

An attendee took photos of the joyous event and posted them on Twitter and Facebook where they proceeded to go viral.

“U can destroy their church but u won’t destroy their spirit. First wedding at St George church Hamidieh Homs,” wrote a man named Bassem on Twitter.

Since that time, thousands of people from all around the world commented on the images and congratulated the newlyweds.

“Congratulations, yours is the final return of peace and safety of Syria,” one commenter wrote.

In addition to the joy of starting their new life together, Fadi and Rana brought joy to thousands of other persecuted Christians who suddenly realized that in spite of all the hardship they had endured, life really does go on.

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have dear friends from Homs. Here is a bit of what this young couple heard at their marriage:

"(+) Bless them. O Lord our God, as you blessed Abraham and Sara. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as You blessed Isaac and Rebecca. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as you blessed Jacob and all the Prophets. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as You blessed Joseph and Asenath. (+) Bless them O Lord our God, as You blessed Moses and Zipporah Bless them, O Lord our God, as You blessed Joakim and Anna. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as You blessed Zacharias and Elizabeth. Preserve them, O Lord our God, as You preserved Noah in the Ark.

Preserve them, O Lord our God, as You preserved Jonah in the jaw of the sea beast. Preserve them, O Lord our God, as You preserved the holy Three Children from the fire, when You sent down upon them the dew of the Heavens. And may that joy come upon them which the blessed Helen had when she found the Precious Cross. Remember them, O Lord our God, as You remembered Enoch, Shem, and Elias.

Remember them, O Lord our God, as You remembered Your holy Forty Martyrs, sending down upon them the crowns from the Heavens. Remember them, O Lord our God, and the parents who have reared them, for the prayers of parents confirm the foundation of houses. Remember, O Lord our God, the wedding company that here have come together, to be present at this rejoicing.

Remember, O Lord our God, Your servant (Name) and Your servant (Name), and bless them. Give to them fruit of the womb, fair children, concord of soul and body. Exalt them as the cedars of Lebanon, and as well‑cultured vine; bestow on them a rich store of sustenance, so that having a sufficiency of all things for themselves, they may abound in every good work that is good and acceptable before You. Let them behold their children's children as newly planted olive trees round about their table; and, being accepted before You, let them shine as stars in the Heavens, in You, our Lord, to Whom are due all Glory, honor, and worship as to Your eternal Father, and Your All‑Holy, Good, and Life‑creating Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages."

Here's a link to the whole service in English:

http://www.goarch.org/chapel/liturgical_texts/wedding

God, bless Thy servants Fadi and Rana and grant them many children and a happy and long life to Thy glory.

God, restore thy temple in Homs and forgive us our sins and restore Christianity to all of the Middle East.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.

St. George, worker of miracles, pray for us.

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