With the Blessing and Presence of His Beatitude Patriarch John X:GOPA-DERD Celebrates the 31st Anniversary of Its Establishment

On the thirty-first anniversary of the establishment of GOPA-DERD, and with the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, GOPA-DERD’s volunteers celebrated the Holy Liturgy in the Sunday Feast of the Good Samaritan, whom the organization takes as its idol and example.

During the liturgy held on this occasion at the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus, His Beatitude expressed the Antiochian Church’s pride in its charitable arm, the Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development. He spoke about its role, emphasizing that “the Department strives to extend mercy to every person in need, and we are all in need of divine mercy.”

Holy Liturgies took place in all governorates throughout the Syrian geography, where volunteers carried out various activities and initiatives, translating faith into actions when helping others.