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The Sunday evening mass at Saint Elias Church in Damascus was supposed to be a time of worship and prayer. Instead, it became a scene of terror that has left Syria's Christian community reeling.
On June 22, at least 22 people were killed and over 50 wounded when a suicide bomber attacked the church during evening mass. Thirteen remain in critical condition as the Christian community struggles to process this devastating blow.
"I am paralyzed and speechless about what happened in Damascus. This is the last thing that Christians hoped to experience."
- Mourad*, Open Doors local partner
"I am paralyzed and speechless about what happened in Damascus," says Mourad*, who leads Open Doors' local partner work in Syria. "This is the last thing that Christians hoped to experience. Innocent people attending Sunday prayers—most probably praying for the country and their individual situation—got confronted with death of their loved ones."
The attack took place at Saint Elias Church in Dweilaa, less than a kilometer from one of Damascus's historic entrance gates. The Greek Orthodox church sits next to Saint Joseph Catholic Church, where Father Baselios was also conducting mass when the attack began.
"I was preaching when the shooting began. Then came the screams," Father Baselios recalls. "Everyone instinctively dropped to the ground. The fear... it was unspeakable. We were all in shock, paralyzed by the horror."
The moment that rendered him most helpless came when a child who had lost family members rushed to him, crying, "Hide me, Father, I don't want to die."
According to Syrian authorities, the attacker was affiliated with ISIS. Security footage shows a single terrorist entering the church, after which gunshots and an explosion could be heard. The blast blew out the church's windows as people fled the area.
For Syrian Christians, this attack represents more than an isolated incident of violence. "Christians are receiving daily threats by fundamentalists that they will be next," Mourad* explains. "The current armed gangsters spread all over the country are thirsty for more killing."
A young Christian woman from Damascus expressed the despair many feel: "I lost all hope that there is any life left here for us. Yesterday I heard the shooting and the explosion."
Another woman in her thirties added, "Nothing can describe the fear that we felt yesterday, the heartbreak over the people we knew. Innocent people who were killed only because they are different in their beliefs, because they love Jesus."
The attack comes just six months after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024. Many Christians had hoped the change in government would bring greater freedom and security.
Instead, they face new uncertainties. "We thought getting rid of the previous regime was going to give us some sense of freedom," Mourad* says. "Yet it seems there are still people who only believe in killing."
He points to authorities who are "pretending to protect the rights of everybody in Syria, but this is not what their people have been fed all these years." The pressure of Islamization, he notes, "is around every corner in Syria."
Since Assad's fall, Syria has experienced several sectarian attacks. In March, hundreds of Alawites were killed in western Syria. In April, over 100 Druze lost their lives in the south. Many question whether the new government can control extremist groups throughout the country.
Despite the fear and trauma, Open Doors' local partners are responding with practical support. They're offering trauma counseling to affected church and family members and encouraging church leaders to seek clear protection statements from the government.
"We are supporting church leaders in our network to come with a clear statement for protection from the Government, so that the Church can continue to play its role in rebuilding Syrian society," Mourad* explains.
The local partner has long supported the Greek Orthodox Church throughout Syria, including Saint Elias church until recent years. Their work continues as they help the church navigate this latest crisis.
Churches throughout Syria will remember the victims and pray for those who lost loved ones or remain hospitalized. Tuesday marked the funeral for the 22 victims as the community began the difficult process of grieving and healing.
After 14 years of devastating civil war, this attack adds fresh trauma to an already suffering community. The children who witnessed the violence are struggling to speak. Some have lost their voices entirely from shock.
"Even though I'm a priest with great hope, I'm incredibly tired and fighting for the parish," one priest admitted.
Yet even in this darkness, the Syrian church continues to gather, pray, and serve their communities. They need the global church to stand with them in prayer and support.
How to pray:
Comfort for families who lost loved ones in the attack
Healing for the 50+ wounded, especially those in critical condition
Protection from future attacks and threats
Strength for church leaders under immense pressure
Wisdom for government officials to provide real security
Peace and stability throughout Syria
The blood of these martyrs joins the centuries of faithful witnesses who have paid the ultimate price for following Christ. As we pray for our Syrian family, we're reminded that when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer together.
In the face of such darkness, the church's light continues to shine. That light cannot be extinguished—not by bombs, not by threats, not by fear. Our Syrian brothers and sisters need to know they are not alone in carrying this burden.
*Name changed for security reasons
