Ishtar tv- exclusive/

Translated by Aziz Emmanuel Zebari

Under the auspices and blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka 1st Ewas, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Syriac Orthodox, the complex and church of Umul-Noor  were opened today 14/8/2012 in Ankawa.

The Ceremony was attended by a number of bishops, the governor of Erbil Nawzad Hadi, the representative of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Kurdistan Region Government Mohammed Othman al-Mufti, members of Kurdistan Region parliament, the Mayor of Ankawa Jalal Habeeb Aziz, and a number of Officials in Ankawa.

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony by  Their Eminences the bishops and the governor of Erbil, the official ceremony started by canticles sung by the church and deaconess’ choirs

Then the pastor of Umul-Noor Church  in Ankawa Fr. Dr. Matti al-Banna welcomed the audience in a speech in which he commended the efforts made for the achievement of this spiritual and ecclesiastical edifice.

The governor of Erbil Nawzad Hadi also delivered a speech in which he stressed that the efforts made by the KRG in building worship places is indicative of the support and patronage of the presidency office and KRG of all the components, denominations and ethnicities that coexist in Kurdistan.

Following other canticles by the church and deaconess’ choir, His Eminence Bishop Mar Gregorius Saliba Sham’aoon the  Patriarchal Advisor  made a speech in which he referred to the people who work for the sake of others driven by an urge to work more and more saying blessed were those who work for their people, nation and homeland and for the sake of  spreading a spirit of love and coexistence.

 “ The dream which was realized through the completion of the complex and church of Umul-Noor for the Syriac orthodox in Ankawa was cherished by every one of us ” said His Eminence bishop Mar Nicodemus Dawood Matti Sharaf  in a speech.

“ We thank God because we the Syriacs, have achieved the construction of a prayer place in Ankawa. This was achieved thanks to the great benevolent Mr. Sarkis Aghajan”, he added.

This was followed by a poem by Fr. Dr. Yousif al-Banna on the occasion.

The celebration was ended by a number of canticles recited by the church and deaconess’ choirs. 

On Wednesday 15/8/2012, his Eminence bishop Mar Nicodemus Dawood Matti Sharaf  bishop of Mosul and KR for the Syriac Orthodox, celebrated a mass for the consecration of the altar of Umul-Noor Church for the Syriac Orthodox in Ankawa which was attended by Their Eminences bishops Mar Gregorius Saliba Sham’aoon the patriarchal advisor, Mar Timatheus Mosa al-Shamani bishop of Mar Matti Diocese and its environs for the Syriac Orthodox, and His Eminence Mar Luis Sako Archbishop of Kirkuk for the Chaldeans and a number of priests and a large number of believers.

It is noteworthy that the complex and church of Umul-Noor were built on an area of 5000 sqm and it includes the church, various halls, a catechism school, a diocesan house and a priest house.