FUTURE OF CHRISTIANITY IN SYRIA.
Christian leaders welcomed assurances from those controlling Syria that believers will have a future in the country, which was seized by rebel forces including jihadist militias last weekend.

Armenian Catholic Bishop Georges Assadourian of Damascus told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that he met with the rebel leaders in the capital’s Four Seasons Hotel, which they have made their headquarters.

The meeting at which he represented the Christian community along with two priests was also attended by a number of ambassadors from overseas governments.

Bishop Assadourian said: “We discussed the Christian presence in Damascus and Syria, and also the role of Christians.

“Will we continue to live and bear witness to our Christianity or not?

“They assured us that everything would be fine and that we should not worry.”

The bishop said that “the situation in Damascus today is calm, as it was yesterday” – adding: “On the night of Friday, 6th December, and Saturday at noon, we held a universal prayer with all the priests, nuns and religious, to pray for peace in Syria.”

He explained that the prayers were prompted by reports that the rebels had reached Damascus, having taken over Aleppo, Hama and Homs.

He said that Saturday (7th December) “was the most dramatic day in Syria’s history.

“The president left the country, and everything turned into a desert – a country freed from the regime that had been in place for 50 years.”

Bishop Assadourian added that, at the meeting on Monday (9th December), messages of reassurance were conveyed to the Christian attendees on behalf of a key leader who was not able to appear in person.

He stressed that the presence of ambassadors at the meeting signalled efforts by the international community to monitor the political changes in Syria.

Other sources in the country who wished to remain anonymous warned ACN that the situation for minority faith groups could deteriorate, noting that Christians faced discrimination and persecution – including a ban on religious practice and symbols – in regions previously controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

It was widely reported that HTS led the rebel forces that currently control Syria.

ACN has been in contact with its project partners and assured them of its continued support, including emergency aid, medical assistance and food supplies for Christian families.

The charity has helped with the rebuilding of homes and supported pastoral activities, as well as the installation of solar panels for Church buildings and schools to help reduce energy costs amid a crippling financial crisis.

The Christian population in Syria has decreased from around 1.5 million at the outbreak of the civil war in 2011 to less than 300,000 in 2024.



With thanks to Maria Lozano

The group meets next on Wednesday 15th January at 5.3pm on Zoom.
Email Fr. Matthew for an invite.

Dear friends of The Pope Video,
“Christian hope is a gift from God that fills our lives with joy.” In this last month of the year, and on the threshold of Jubilee 2025, the Pope reminds us how vital it is to cling to hope. “The world really needs it a lot!”

Pope Francis invites us to seek those encounters with Christ that revitalize our being, that encourage us to make a pilgrimage toward hope during the upcoming Jubilee, so that it might be a year to strengthen our faith.

In The Pope Video for December, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network in collaboration with the Fondazione Pro Rete Mondiale di Preghiera del Papa and the Dicastery for Evangelization, Pope Francis encourages us to fill every nook and cranny with the hope of the Risen Lord and to share that hope with whoever needs it most – for “hope never disappoints.”

🙏“Let us pray that this Jubilee strengthen us in our faith, helping us to recognize the Risen Christ in the midst of our lives, transforming us into pilgrims of Christian hope.”

The ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY fight poverty and help those in need in our community .Many thanks for the generous response to our yearly fundraising collection to help us with our ministry. We have the parish Christmas Giving Tree for items to be given to the homeless over in South Wales which will be coordinated by our group. Please contact if you need help or can offer help at: presidentG050512@svp.org.uk or visit https://www.svp.org.uk/ for information

Struggling after Abortion, you are not alone, give ius a call- ARCH, Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline.
0345 603 8501.
info@archtrust.org.uk

Since the full project team meeting in May and mentioned in the last newsletter, team members have been working on their own areas in detail. At the moment, everyone is still very much gathering data with some of the main activities being:
Headland Design are looking at potential activities and developing different audiences. They have started meeting representatives from community groups to see how we might work with them.
Headland and Adam Greenwood, our Evaluation Consultant, have also been working on a visitor survey for the exhibition with our volunteers.
Our business planner has been concentrating on tourism statistics for the area.
The architects have been familiarising themselves with the building, learning more about its history from our volunteers, and understanding how we hope to use it in the future.
An asbestos survey has been carried out (results next week), with a timber condition survey, a 3D measured survey and initial opening up works in the pipeline in the next few weeks.
Trustee opportunity!
The Trust is looking for new trustees!

This is a really exciting time to be joining the Board as we develop our plans for the restoration and reuse of Plas Gunter Mansion.

We very much want our Board to reflect the community we support. You don’t need experience of being a trustee, but we are looking for people who have skills we don’t currently have.

We are particularly interested if you have skills in:
Community work
Working with young people
Building conservation
Exhibition and display
Digital communications
Property law
Fundraising
Academic links
Running a business or social enterprise
Click on the link to find out more about becoming a trustee.

If you are interested in becoming a Plas Gunter Mansion trustee, please email Deborah Holland at administrator@plasguntermansion.org.uk, outlining your particular skills and experience and telling us why you would like to join the Board.
Land at the rear

Back in March, the Trust was very excited to report that we had qualified for a grant which would enable us to purchase the land behind the mansion.

We were days away from hearing a decision when the General Election was announced, and because the grant was government-funded, all decisions were put on hold. It was immensely frustrating as all the signs had looked positive. At the moment, we don't know if the fund will reopen, or at least honour decisions made in the last round.

The good news is that a different fund, Local Places for Nature, another of the Heritage Fund's programmes, will also allow us to buy the land. The fund was happy to accept an application from us which was submitted last week. We should receive a decision sometime in September.
Become a member
Taking out a membership is a really easy way of supporting Plas Gunter Mansion.

The yearly membership fee is £15 and we encourage you, or anyone you know who may be interested in the building, to become a member. Membership fees help us cover ongoing expenses, such as insurance and administration.

To become a member click on the button below.

Become a member
Make a regular donation
A regular donation helps pay for unexpected maintenance issues as well as constantly increasing costs, such as electric and water. Even a small amount given every month makes a huge difference.

The easiest way to do this, and the cheapest way for the Trust, is to donate online via our secure form. The form's default setting is for monthly donations, although you can change this if you want to make a one-off gift.

Click the button below to go straight to the form.
Make a donation
Exhibition opening hours
Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
10.30 am to 4.00 pm
March to December

Dear Rev Carney

Thank you!



Thanks to your tremendous generosity we have raised over £250,000 in our Christmas appeal for the most needy Christians in the Holy Land.



So many families face increasing uncertainty about their future, but with your help we are there to support them. We will be closing the Christmas appeal on 19th January but there is still time for you to donate; any amount you can give will make a difference.

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Donate now
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Stories from the Holy Land



Christmas in the Holy Land was a shadow of past celebrations. However thanks to your generosity, we were able to facilitate celebrations for the School of Joy and St Martha's House and you can see from the pictures the enjoyment this brought to those involved.

School of Joy



Thanks to the generous donations of our supporters in Jersey, on December 21st the School of Joy held their Christmas Lunch.



The children were given Christmas presents in a stocking filled with sweet treats as well as their new Christmas jumpers and staff were also given gifts. Everyone at the school had a great time, as you can see from the smiles here.





Father Mamdouh, the School of Joy’s Director said of the Christmas lunch, “Everybody was happy, even in such a terrible situation. We pray for peace and for a stop to the war in Gaza and in the West bank.”




The School of Joy continues to be an important project for us, providing a vitally needed sanctuary for children with special needs and their families. The school is now at 90 pupils and has hired a new teacher Nivan Khair (pictured here) who is settling in well and already loves the students. We can only do this with your support, thank you.

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St Martha's House



The ladies at St Martha's House were treated to a visit by local prominent clergy, including Greek Orthodox Bishop Vindictos, for their Christmas celebration. They sang hymns and songs, exchanged gifts and shared a meal together. Our ladies were delighted by the visit and enjoyed a memorable day.