Annual meeting with His Holiness the Patriarch

His Holiness, the Patriarch receives a delegation from St. Ephrem Patriarchal Development Committee (EPDC).

On Friday, May 17, 2024, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and the General Manager of EPD, received a team from EPDC, a courtesy visit to celebrate the glorious Easter holiday.

His Eminence Bishop Mor Botrous Kassis, the Bishop of Aleppo and its environs, the Executive Director of EPDC, Mr. Hisham Saad, and the Director of Aleppo Office, Dr. Majd Lahdo, attended.

Firstly, His Eminence Bishop Mor Botrous Kassis expressed his gratitude to His Holiness for receiving the team of EPDC and explained their work and humanitarian services during 2023. He highlighted their significant relief efforts following the earthquake that struck on February 6 last year. EPDC was one of the first institutions to provide emergency response to the affected areas. A comprehensive summary was also presented by the Executive Director, Engineer Hisham Saad, about the relief and development projects in various Syrian provinces and the expansion of our humanitarian services to new areas such as rural Idlib, rural Latakia, and rural Aleppo. A new office was established in Latakia to serve a larger number of our people and brothers amidst difficult economic conditions and increasing needs. The Executive Director also discussed the updating of policies and procedures to comply with ISO 26000, and mentioned the membership of EPDC in the ACT Alliance, opening the way for new partnerships. The administrative team also explained the projects being implemented by the organization in most Syrian provinces.

Furthermore, His Holiness participated in the launch of the official website of EPDC in its new version, and commemorative gifts were presented, showcasing the productive projects of EPDC.

His Holiness offered his guidance and blessings to the team of EPDC, encouraging them to continue their work with love and responsibility in fulfilling their humanitarian duty towards our people. He emphasized the importance of preserving the human dignity of our people and provided advice on overcoming challenges and difficulties to achieve the motto of EPDC, “From Empathy to Action”.

The meeting was also attended by Their Eminence Archbishops: Mor Dionysius John Kawak, Patriarchal Vicar for the Archdiocese of the Eastern USA, Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Assistant, and Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary, as well as Mr. Luay Oussi, responsible for legal affairs at the Patriarchate.