About the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Homs, Syria:
The Holy Spirit Church in the Syriac Catholic Archbishopric of Homs, Syria, was inaugurated in 1935, and it is one of the few Churches in the world that takes the Holy Spirit as its Patron and bears its name. The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Damascus is a Syriac Catholic church, and plays a significant role in Christian life in the central region of Syria It serves as a major site for the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Homs, Hama, and Nabk. It is a key center for the Syriac Catholic community in the central region of Syria. .
Note: The Syriac Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic sui iuris (self-governing) particular church that is in full communion with the Holy See and with the entirety of the Catholic Church.
Effects from the war in Syria:
In 2010, the Church was renovated and inaugurated on Christmas Eve. Three months later, the war in Syria began, and the Church paid a heavy price, as it was heavily bombarded with rockets, causing damage to the two side facades of the Church and five openings in the dome. The icons, wooden benches, and windows were also subjected to burning, destruction, and theft.
In 2014, the Archbishopric carried out emergency restoration work on the Church. The openings in the dome were closed, and the Church was repainted. Wooden benches from the Saint Elian Monastery in Al-Qaryatayn (Homs area), were brought and placed in the Church of the Holy Spirit.
The Middle East Council of Churches in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands, and as part of the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services and Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria”, worked on changing the old and broken tiles inside the Church, installed wooden doors for the Church, as well as solar energy for lighting for the entire Archbishopric, in addition to restoring the activity rooms in the Archbishopric and restoring the elevator.
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit often hosts meetings for clergy and special services, including Christmas Eve mass, symbolizing resilience.
It is also the location where the Catholic churches in the central region gather for meetings focused on Christian education.
The Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Homs, Syria, is situated in its historic al-Hamidiyah district.