Churches in Qamishli hold prayers to celebrate end of "Month of Mary"

Qamishli- Reem Chamoun – North-Press Agency

On Sunday, Christians in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, held special prayers and rituals to celebrate the end of the “Month of Mary” in many churches in the city center.

The Armenian Catholic Church held a special prayer on Sunday morning in the Church of Maar Yossef (Saint Joseph), followed by a Divine Liturgy held by the Syriac Orthodox Church in al-Saida al-Azra’ (Our Lady) Church.

Maar Yaqoub (St. Jacob) al-Nusaybini Church for the Chaldean community celebrated the end of the month, and the Armenian Orthodox Church celebrated both the end of the month and the anniversary of Armenia's independence.

Hundreds of Christians participated in the celebration, carrying candles and reciting prayers for the Blessed Virgin.

Zakaria Masoud, the priest of St. Kryiaks Church, told North-Press that Christians in Syria celebrate the month of the Virgin Mary every year: “Churches begin to perform daily prayers of Our Lady from the first day of May until the end of it, and on the 31st they hold the Divine Liturgy prayer.”

Christians believe that the Month of Mary, which marks the beginning of summer, is the beginning of a new life, making a perfect month to celebrate the Virgin Mary, who brought life to the world, according to their beliefs. Celebration of the month is considered one of the rituals of the Catholic Church, which has been celebrating it since the year 1365.

The Syriac Church began this practice in the late 1990s, and celebrates five feasts annually.