Altar at St Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church in Beirut survived the explosion [VIDEO]

·

St Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church in Achrafieh is less than a kilometre away from where the Beirut explosion took place.

Father Youil Nassif rushed to the church to check for damage, finding the nave completely ruined. But the sacred altar space, protected by the “iconostasis” (wall of icons), was almost unscathed – including an oil lamp that had remained lit throughout the blast.

“You can call me naive but I felt it was unbelievable. I felt it was a message from God saying, ‘I will be by your side, we will rise up,” Father Nassif said in an interview with BBC News.

Father Nassif says he left the church with his children 12 minutes before the explosion, but when he returned he was shocked by what he found.

“The altar was untouched. The holy chalice was in tact. You can see the Holy Bible, you can see the oil lamp that didn’t move… even the glass was not broken,” he says.

“In times of crisis we search for signs, we search for a light in the darkness. I felt as if this was a sign.”

Father Nassif concluded by asking people to “just pray” for the people of Lebanon as they deal with the aftermath of the horrific explosion which killed more than 150 people.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

How Maih Porfyri’s career pivot took her from fashion to the Paralympics

Maih Porfyri had only been in her job for a few months before she was whisked away on a trip to Paris to cover the Paralympic Games.

My partner doesn’t speak Greek – Can we still raise bilingual kids?

You can absolutely raise bilingual children, even if only one parent speaks Greek. Across the world, countless families do so successfully.

Joint bank accounts: Who gets the money?

All people named in a joint account are privy to the money by Law. Most of us have opened accounts at various bank branches.

Vergina considered among the world’s most mysterious destinations

Featured alongside global wonders, Vergina earns its place through a mystery that has eluded scholars for centuries.

Gender in Modern Greek: Dr Angeliki Alvanoudi to give online seminar

The aim of the seminar is to examine the role of Greek gendered terms in sustaining social gender ideologies that reinforce sexism.

You May Also Like

Australia’s ‘premier multicultural conference’ returns to Melbourne after 18 years

FECCA Chairperson Mary Patetsos said the funding will allow community members and young people to come together from across the country to share their knowledge and lived experiences.

Warning issued as rare cyclone heads to Greece this weekend

Greece is bracing for a mega-storm this weekend that meteorologists are saying will bring intense rain and wind to much of the country.

Papa Lefteris defrocked but people still turn up to Good Friday service

Former parish priest at Red Hill, Papa Lefteris, has been defrocked but people still turn up to Good Friday service.