Priest describes escape from Daesh (ISIS) as a "miracle"

Fr Jacques Mourad

Father Jacques Mourad, the Syrian priest who escaped captivity last week after spending nearly six months in a Daesh (ISIS) prison in Qaratayn, Syria, has expressed his gratitude in a letter to Aid to the Church in Need.

Fr Mourad, who fled with the help of the friend on the back of a motorbike disguised as an Islamist fighter, described his liberation as a “miracle”.

He said: “And this miracle is not limited to the unforgettable moment when I was able to escape from the place of my captivity.

“If I have come to this moment, if the good Lord has been able to bring this about, then it is thanks to a series of steps which have involved many different partners within the universal Church – that is to say, the benefactors and the humanitarian organisations, of which you are one, and also our Church.”

Addressing benefactors of ACN directly, Fr Mourad thanked them for their support.

“Dear friends, throughout this difficult period you never ceased to show your solidarity with us, as a religious community living at the heart of this suffering country – suffering on every level: spiritual, material and human.”

ACN has supported the rebuilding of homes, help for displaced families and the care of the sick and disabled in Syria through the leadership of project partners like Fr Mourad and others.

Though Fr Mourad also acknowledged the suffering of Syrian Christians still continues, he expressed his absolute trust in the Lord.

He said: “Faced with the many, many sufferings that are our lot, but also with signs of God’s divine presence, we remain firm in our faith in God our Saviour, sure that he will never ever abandon us. Amen.”

If you would like to make a donation to help those suffering in Syria, you can do so on our website: www.acnuk.org/donate

Or by calling us on 020 8642 8668