First mass in nearly 100 years served at Armenian Catholic Church in Turkey’s Diyarbakir

14:28, 6 December, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. After the completion of renovation works, the first mass in nearly 100 years was served at the Armenian Catholic Church in the district of Sur in Diyarbakir, Turkey, the Doghan news agency reports.

The St. Hovsep Church was heavily damaged during Turkish-Kurdish clashes in 2015. The restoration was carried out by the Directorate General of Foundations of Turkey.

The spiritual leader of the Armenian Catholics of Turkey Archbishop Levon Zekiyan consecrated the church and then served a mass.

Zekiyan told Doghan news agency that after the renovation, the church’s premises were handed over for ten years to the Dicle University for educational and cultural purposes, under the condition that the Armenian community will continue holding religious ceremonies there.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS