Qaraqosh Tragedy: Prayer plea from Archbishop Warda
A service at the Syriac Catholic Church at Qaraqosh in 2019. (Credit: © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk)
Please also join us in praying for those affected by the tragic fire at a wedding in Iraq. Qaraqosh - where the fire took place - is a Christian town in the north of the country. The community here has already suffered so much, being forced to flee by ISIS in 2014. Those who have since returned have struggled to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
Archbishop Warda, of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq, sent us this update and prayer request:
A wedding celebration in the ancient Nineveh village of Qaraqosh has turned into a tragedy for Syriac Catholics. 1,000 Christians were celebrating when a fire suddenly broke above them when the traditional fireworks caught the central chandelier and then the ceiling. Over 100 souls have been lost as the fire rapidly spread consuming the wedding hall building.
Patriarchs, bishops, and priests from all faiths gathered today in Qaraqosh to bury those who had perished. No words can adequately describe the mourning of those bringing their loved ones to their final resting places in their ancient land. What was to be a time of joy has now turned into a whole community into mourning and deep shock. So many families are suffering. One priest has lost 10 of his family. Many are going from house to house to comfort the mourning. It will sadly not be the first day of funerals as dozens are missing, dozens are severely injured presently receiving hospital treatment for first degree burns and the inhalation of toxic fumes.
In this tragedy it has brought the people of Iraq together again with the Sunnis cancelling their celebrations of the birth of the Prophet Mohammad. We have statements of condolences and support from the Shia community with the Governments of Iraq and Kurdistan announcing 3 days of mourning.
I ask for your prayers for those souls we have lost and the severely injured. I ask you to pray for the Syriac community and their families within Iraq and the diaspora.
In Christ
Archbishop Bashar Warda
THE FIRST VICTIMS ARE LAID TO REST
Mourners of all faiths gathered for the funeral of the first 47 victims of the fire. The ceremony was led together by the patriarchs of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Church, along with bishops from the Syriac Catholic Church.
