Patriarchal Eparchy of Damascus Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate June 2009 |
- 1. The Patriarchal Eparchy of Damascus is made up of 21 parishes dispersed throughout the city of Damascus and in the Damascus suburbs over a diameter of 120 kilometres. Its bishop is His Beatitude Gregorios III, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem . He is seconded by a vicar general, Archbishop Joseph Absi and 45 priests. 12 seminarists are preparing for the priesthood in the Seminary of Saint Anna in Rabweh , Lebanon .
- Besides, the Eparchy possesses two monasteries: Saint Thomas at Saydnaya and Saint Elias at Ma’arrat, for retreats and different (especially religious) activities and events. Two other monasteries are based in the eparchy: one, Saints Sergius and Bacchus at Ma’loula, belongs to the Salvatorian Basilian Order and the other, Saint Germanus at Jaramana, belongs to the Missionary Society of Saint Paul.
- Furthermore, the eparchy is endowed with a Minor Seminary which at present houses 20 seminarists.
- 2. The Eparchy is animated by a pastoral collection of movements, centers and associations:
- i. 20 catechetical centers: 250 religious educators – 5000 children – 150 classrooms
- ii. Family confraternities: 3 = 200 members
- iii. Sodalities for women: 18 = 1350 members
- iv. Confraternities for men: 14 = 400 members
- v. Various confraternities: 500 members
- vi. Choirs: 13 = 500 choristers
- vii. Scout troops: 10 = 1500 members
- viii. Welfare societies: 7 = 400 members
- ix. Confraternities of handicapped persons: 5 = 200 members
- x. Legio Mariae: 20 families = 350 members
- xi. IMAC: 200 children
- xii. Movement of Renewal in the Holy Spirit: 200 members
- xiii. The Torch Society: 100 members
- xiv. Christian Student Youth
- xv. Church Wardens: 175
- 3. The Eparchy also has social centers – medical, cultural and other:
- i. Children’s home: 1 = 25 children – boys and girls
- ii. Old people’s home: 1 = 15 persons
- iii. Soup kitchens: 2 = 300 beneficiaries
- iv. Clinics: 2 = 45 different specialist doctors and more than 25000 patient visits per year
- v. Patriarchal college for girls and boys, from reception to sixth form: 1 = at present 2020 pupils. Maximum capacity: 2800 pupils
- vi. Kindergartens: 7 = about 1000 children
- vii. Adult religious education center: 1 = 120 students
- viii. Half-yearly patriarchal review Aliqa’a
- ix. Young women’s hostels: 2 = 125 young women
- x. Burial societies: 1, concerned with burying the dead and the building and maintenance of the cemetery
- xi. Welfare society: 1 = 200 families benefit from monthly financial support and many others from temporary kinds of financial help
- xii. Ecclesiastical court
- xiii. Museum: 1, which houses icons, manuscripts, utensils
- xiv. Patriarchal office for different services
- 4. Projects for the future:
- i. Monastery of Saint Elias, mentioned above, under construction in Ma’arrat, a village in the Damascus region
- ii. Patriarchal hospital, under construction at Kashkoul in the Damascus suburbs
- iii. Church for Jaramana in the Damascus suburbs
- iv. Church for Sahnaya, village in the Damascus region
- v. Church for Qatana, village in the Damascus region
- vi. Church for the Al-Assad villages in the Damascus suburbs
- vii. Church of the Mouhajrin, a Damascus district: restoration
- viii. Parish center of the village of Hineh : restoration
- ix. Catechetical center of Harasta: restoration
- x. Parish center for Bloudan, town of the Damascus region
- xi. Site for a church at Ain-Terma, in the Damascus suburbs