Listen to the story of faith and community at the Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kirche in Augsburg. Since the late 1960s, Syriac Orthodox Christians from Turkey have called Augsburg home. They arrived as guest workers from the area between the Euphrates and Tigris. This is the mountainous region of Tur Abdin.
Over time, the community grew to include Syriac Orthodox Christians. They came from Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Today, over 600 families belong to the Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kirche community in Augsburg. Many members now hold German citizenship. They feel at home in Augsburg, the Peace City. They hold on to their faith. They celebrate the divine service in Aramaic, the language of Jesus.
For almost 25 years, services were held in various Catholic and Protestant churches. The growing number of members led to a decision in 1991. The church council bought land on Zusamstrasse to build their own church and community center.
The groundbreaking took place on November 25, 1995. After almost three years of construction, the church was completed. It was consecrated on November 1 1998. Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, the 122nd Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, dedicated it as St. Mary’s Church. Most of the costs for the land and construction came from donations. The Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kirche holds an evening service every Saturday. Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
The church center serves as a meeting place for the community. Bible courses and women’s group events happen here. Engagement and wedding celebrations take place in the community halls. Member meetings are also held here. Church tours are available upon request. School classes, senior groups, and political parties from Augsburg and Germany have enjoyed them.
On August 29 2021, a festive service celebrated the consecration. It was for the church bell and tower of the Syrisch-Orthodoxe Marienkirche in Augsburg. Mor Philoxenus Mattias Nayis led the celebrations. He is the Archbishop of the Diocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Germany. Guests from politics, society, and cultural associations attended. Bernd Kränzle, Dr. Volker Ulrich, and Andreas Jäckel were among them.
Hausmann Stahlbau built the tower. Reisch engineers planned it. Financial reasons prevented the tower’s construction. It was planned with the church originally. The dream of hearing the church bell never faded. Many members remembered this sound from their former homeland.
Twenty-three years passed before this changed. The Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kirche community became part of Augsburg’s society. This applies to all Syriac Orthodox churches in Germany.
The construction of this tower was possible through donations and support. The Augsburger Gemeinde once had four pastors. Abuna Bitris Ögüc and Chorepiskopos Lahdo Bilgic passed away. They had tirelessly served the community for years. Abuna Gabriel Tezel and Chorepiskopos Aho Bulut continue to serve. They are retired pastors of the community in Augsburg. All community pastors also cared for the surrounding communities in Bavaria.
In November 2021, Abuna Daniel Turan became the new community pastor. Malfono Yilmaz Bulut teaches the children. He teaches Syriac Orthodox religious education. This is in their native language of Aramaic.
The Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kirche participates in ecumenical services. These take place every three months. They are with the Catholic Church of St. Pankratius and the Church of Our Lady. They also take place with the Protestant Church of St. Markus.
Since 2013, persecution, displacement, and murder have cast a shadow. This is especially true for the Syriac Orthodox Church in Syria and Iraq. Christian churches of the Orient regularly protest the violation of human dignity.
For 25 years, the Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kirche von Antiochien has stood here. It stands on Zusamstrasse in Lechhausen. It is a celebration of self-affirmation. It is a tribute to the founding generation. They came to Augsburg as guest workers from southeastern Turkey. The mountainous Tur Abdin is the original home of most of the 800 member families.