The Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage has financed the first stage of the construction of an Orthodox church with the placement of Orthodox liturgical utensils, elements of the bishop's vestments and a collection of Russian Orthodox icons in the city of Zahla for the manufacture of domes, their shipment to Lebanon in April 2022 and their subsequent installation.
The work on the manufacture and installation of the domes of the temple is planned to be carried out in Russia, since there are no craftsmen in Lebanon who can make domes in the traditional Russian style and mount them.
The counterparty is the representative of the Patriarch of Antioch to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Bishop of the Orthodox Church of Antioch, Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis (Saikali), who is the rector of the Church of the Archangel Gabriel and Theodore Stratelat in Moscow (Antioch Metochion in Moscow). In Russia, a small Antiochian diaspora – Syrians, Palestinians and Lebanese - lives under his spiritual care. In addition, the Metropolitan spiritually nourishes the Antiochian flock in Greece.
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The city of Zahla is the only Christian city in the Middle East, where there are 52 churches of different Christian communities, including four Orthodox churches.
The rite of consecration of the foundation stone on the site of the future church was performed on September 22, 2019. The consecration of the entire church is planned for September 2022. This temple will become the fifth Orthodox church in the city of Zahla.