HOMS, Syria, July 11, 2003 — A Sixth Century Monastery, seen mainly as a tourist attraction in the early 1990's, is now the most active institution of its kind in Syria.
The monastery of St George Al-Humayrah is located on an ancient Roman road in the Wadi An-Nadara (Valley of Christians), 65 kilometres from Homs. Established in the sixth century as a small hermitage, it was spared from ruin during the seventh century by a treaty when the Muslims conquered the country. The monastery is registered as one of the most important monuments in Syria, but despite its survival over a long and turbulent history, its spiritual significance slowly faded and by the early 1990's it was mainly seen as a tourist attraction.
Biblical Rejuvenation
Since then, however, it has seen a revival that Christians in the West could only dream about, becoming the most active facility of its kind in all of Syria. Today, the monastery is home to twelve monks, and is a thriving centre of Biblical teaching and outreach, serving an area inhabited by about 70,000 Syrian Orthodox Christians. According to Archimandrite Athansios Fahed, professor of Christian Ethics in the monastery's School of Ecclesiastical Studies, the Bible is at the heart of this revival.
"In 1993, not one New Testament was to be found here," he says. "There was no spiritual power here - even the buildings were not taken care of. The priest did his work and no more. But now, the situation is entirely different and we have brought Orthodox Christianity back. In the beginning it was very difficult but today we have a living church."
With its renewed emphasis on Biblical studies, St George's has also become a respected academic institution, with Orthodox theological students spending the first two years of their studies at the School of Ecclesiastical Studies before continuing their training in Lebanon.
The teaching at St George's is Bible-based and has a particular emphasis on children and young people. One of the monastery's aims, according to Fr. Athansios, is to guide children throughout their formative years, "from early childhood until they are married."
This focus has borne fruit: the monastery's 15 week-long summer camps from May to September are always fully booked, with each camp catering to between 80 and 200 children. During the summer months last year, the monastery's 13th-century church was alive with hundreds of young families who had come to have their children baptised.
In addition to its classes and summer camps, the monastery remains a centre of attraction for Orthodox believers, particularly during religious holidays, drawing thousands of pilgrims from near and far to participate in the services and celebrations. It has also not lost its historical interest for tourists, and many visit St George's during the summer months.
Bringing the Bible to the People
The Bible ministry of St. George's doesn't stop at its front gate. Courses about the Bible and Christian life are run in 40 villages in the region, attended by adults and about 7,000 children between six and fifteen years of age. Last year, the monastery also distributed almost 4,000 Scriptures to people in the villages who did not have their own Bibles, extending still further the Bible's renewing influence.
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