St. Pierre Church in Turkey’s Hatay holds first mass after Feb. 6 quakes

St. Pierre Church in Turkey’s Hatay province, one of the oldest churches in the world, held the first mass after the Feb. 6 earthquakes to celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The President of the Antakya Greek Orthodox Church Foundation said they "will stay and exist in Antakya despite everything," referring to the deadly quakes.

Burcu Özkaya Günaydın / Gazete Duvar

St. Pierre Church in the southern province of Hatay’s Antakya district on June 29 held the first mass after the major Feb. 6 earthquakes to celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

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Christians from the surrounding provinces, as well as the districts of Altınözü, Samandağ and İskenderun of Hatay, attended the mass which started at 9.30 a.m. local time.

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Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey, Marek Solczyński, also attended the ceremony led by Bishop Konstantin Kayyel, the Archpriest of the Lebanese St. Elias Monastery, representing the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East.

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After the mass, candles were lit and hymns were sung.

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