The Our Lady statue was unharmed in a terrible quake that collapsed the Annunciation Cathedral in the Turkish province of Hatay.
Our Lady Mary Statue, a Miracle?
In what many call a miracle, a statue of Our Lady remained unharmed after a devastating earthquake, which brought down the Annunciation Cathedral in the city of Alexandretta in the Turkish province of Hatay.
Father Antuan Ilgit, a Turkish priest from the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia who served at the cathedral, first broke the news of its destruction on Sunday internationally before following up with a heartwarming silver lining.
“The collapse of the cathedral is impressive. Just yesterday, we celebrated the Sunday Mass there!” Ilgit said Tuesday. “But now the living stones that need attention, and with them, with the help of God, we can rebuild everything.”
Early Monday, Feb. 6, a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. A few hours later, at around 1:30 p.m. local time, a second 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck central Turkey, resulting in tremors and more than 700 aftershocks leaving the destruction of nearly 7,000 buildings.
The Turkish government declared a level 4 state of emergency after more than a thousand buildings in various provinces in southern Turkey and northern Syria were demolished.
Holy Statue and Sacrament Survive
The Our Lady statue was unharmed in the quake that collapsed the Annunciation Cathedral in the city of Alexandretta in the Turkish province of Hatay.
The Turkish government has also decreed seven days of mourning for the tragedy.
According to some experts, Turkey is located in one of the most active seismic zones in the world.
On Facebook, Father Antuan Ilgit, a Turkish Jesuit priest, asked the faithful to “pray for us and for the people. It was a powerful earthquake. We don’t have definite news yet. However, our cathedral is no more!”
“We continue to trust in God and in his holy providence. It’s raining, it’s cold, and the tremors are very strong. We feel your closeness and count on it. We also hold beloved Syria in our hearts. May the Lord keep us in his love and be gracious to us!” the priest concluded.
“Thank God”
The cathedral was the main church of the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia.
“Thank God we, our sisters, and our collaborators are well and we’re trying to take in those who come to stay with us,” he added.
The number of victims in Turkey and Syria continues to rise as the rubble is removed.
Further Reading:
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