Articles by Georgena Habbaba
The Gospel of Qaraqosh: 13th-century Syriac manuscript preserved in Vatican Library
Nov 8, 2025 / 07:00 amA richly illuminated Syriac manuscript dating back to the 13th century known as the Gospel of Qaraqosh was penned in A.D. 1220 by monk Mubarak ibn Dawud al-Bartelli.
Catholic University in Erbil celebrates fifth graduating class
Oct 2, 2025 / 06:00 amThis week, Catholic University in Erbil, Iraq, graduated 114 students amid a strong church and diplomatic presence.
From Ohio to Erbil: Student missionaries help revive Catholic education in Iraq
Sep 28, 2025 / 07:00 amFranciscan University’s St. Thomas Mission blends teaching, faith, and service in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Iraqi prime minister reopens 2 historic Catholic churches in Mosul
Sep 2, 2025 / 14:15 pmIn the city of Mosul, Iraq, an official celebration was held on Monday, Sept. 1, to mark the reopening of two churches after their full restoration.
Hundreds of thousands gather at Egypt’s Assiut Monastery to honor the Virgin Mary
Aug 26, 2025 / 08:00 amAssiut’s monastery is considered to be the final stop of the Holy Family’s journey in Egypt and includes an ancient cave where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are said to have lived.
Iraqi Christians face political challenges as election approaches
Aug 23, 2025 / 07:00 amMore than 30 Christian candidates are running for election this November in Iraq, competing for five seats reserved for them under Iraq’s electoral law.
English priest presents Our Lady of Persecuted Christians icon to Iraqi bishop
Aug 19, 2025 / 14:03 pmOn the anniversary of displacement, Father Benedict Kiely presented the Mosul, Iraq, archbishop with an icon for a shrine in Qaraqosh.
Hope in Iraq: Churches full as 1,500 children celebrate first Communion
Aug 9, 2025 / 06:00 amJust weeks ago, Christians throughout Iraq celebrated as 1,500 boys and girls received their first holy Communion.
‘The church comes first’: A Yazidi family’s promise to protect a Christian sacred site
Jun 22, 2025 / 08:00 amThanks to the devotion of a local Yazidi family, the doors of Mar Odisho Church remain open in the northern Iraqi village of al-Nasiriya.
Over 450 children celebrate first holy Communion this month in Qaraqosh, Iraq
Jun 18, 2025 / 06:00 amArchbishop Benedictus Hanno stressed that the celebrations are “a great joy for our Church and a living testimony to the renewal and perseverance of Christian faith.”
PHOTOS: Nearly 20,000 celebrate Palm Sunday in Iraq’s ‘City of Hosanna’
Apr 14, 2025 / 17:12 pmThousands of Christians gathered in Qaraqosh, Iraq, to welcome Christ as king and prince of peace as Holy Week began for Christians throughout the world.
ACI MENA celebrates 3 years of amplifying voices of Christians in the Middle East
Mar 25, 2025 / 15:15 pmA service of EWTN News, ACI MENA was established in 2022 and currently operates from the Catholic University in Erbil, a city in northern Iraq.
EWTN News documentary chronicles Iraq’s Christian history and ISIS impact
Mar 1, 2025 / 11:30 amPersecuted Christians in Iraq: An EWTN News Special” delves into the roots of Christianity in Iraq and its history dating back nearly 2,000 years.
Iraqi Christian youth voice their views on the Church and their future
Dec 5, 2024 / 07:00 amA survey conducted between 2022 and 2024 by ACI MENA revealed young Iraqi Christians’ views of the Church and of migration.
Proposed amendments to Iraqi law undermine women’s dignity, human rights expert says
Nov 29, 2024 / 06:00 amIraqi Christians push for Personal Status Law amid controversial amendments related to child marriage, divorce rights, and child custody.
Chaldean archbishop voices hope for peace under new U.S. administration
Nov 11, 2024 / 11:00 amArchbishop Bashar Matti Warda, head of the Chaldean Eparchy of Erbil, has expressed hope that the new U.S. president will positively impact peace efforts.
Nearly 2,000 Christian youth in Iraq gather for prayer, faith formation
Aug 29, 2024 / 10:48 amYoung people from Christian youth groups across Iraq gathered for the seventh annual Ankawa Youth Gathering held Aug. 22–24 in Ankawa-Erbil.
Iraqi priest recounts night of exodus, ISIS invasion a decade later
Aug 7, 2024 / 11:21 amFor Father Martin Banni, pastor of St. Korkis Chaldean Church in Karamlesh, Iraq, the memories of Aug. 6, 2014, remain vivid.
Chaldean bishops reject blessing of same-sex unions
Jul 25, 2024 / 16:30 pmThe bishops of the Chaldean Synod on July 16 issued a statement declaring their position on the blessing of same-sex unions.
10 years after Mosul’s destruction, will Christians come back?
Jun 14, 2024 / 06:00 amMosul’s exiled Christians grapple today with rebuilding their lives while demanding accountability and a future built on equity and justice.