14/03/2022

SYRIA: Spiritual evening in Zalin in remembrance of Saint Ephrem the Syriac

ZALIN, Syria — A spiritual evening was held in Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria, in remembrance of Saint Ephrem the Syriac (Harp of the Holy Spirit).

The evening was attended by Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Gozarto (Jazira) and Euphrates Mor Maurice Amsih, priests of Syriac Orthodox churches in Zalin, including priest of Saint Ephrem Church Fr. Habib Issa, Religious Education Center in Zalin (Qamishli), and a large number of believers.

“If we lose the Bible, we could find it in the poems and writings of Saint Ephrem the Syriac,” Mor Maurice Amsih stated, saying this summarizes the greatness of Saint Ephrem the Syriac and his efforts in serving Christianity.

In comments to SyriacPress, Mor Maurice Amsih said that Saint Ephrem spent 70 years of his life in serving the Church. He wrote the Bible in the form of poetry, literature, and prose and founded a university in Nisibis in 350 A.D.

Saint Ephrem was a teacher at the School of Nisibis and he founded the first choir in the city of Edessa. He also undertook many charitable works, such as establishing a hospital and treating plague patients until he died due to contracting the plague. He had requested that his grave be placed in a humble cemetery.

On St. Ephrem Day, Mor Maurice Amsih congratulated everyone who bears the name of Ephrem, Ephremia, and all Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people.

Father Habib Issa, in turn, indicated that Saint Ephrem the Syriac enriched the Syriac Church with a large number of poems and hymns and that the Church annually commemorates this great saint.

“I congratulate everyone who bears the name of Ephrem and Ephremia, in particular the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Mor Ignatius Ephrem II,” said Father Habib Issa.

Official of the Religious Education Center in Zalin Malfonitho Terez Yohanen spoke about the greatness of Saint Ephrem the Syriac and his Syriac works which the church adopts in prayers.