November 17, 2001

The grandson of Zababdeh’s last Melkite priest holds the communion plate and spoon

This afternoon, Marthame went with our friend to visit Zababdeh's old Melkite Church. It was the first time either of us had been there in a really long time. And while the church has been closed for over fifteen years now (the last priest - our friend's grandfather - died in 1985 and the Bishop has yet to send a replacement for the community here), the recent few months have seen the greatest decline in the state of the place. Someone had broken the iron lock on the doors, and it seems that children - and probably adults, too - have taken to using the place as a playground. There were broken bottles on the ground, old candles had been burned and scarred up the walls, furniture had been torn, windows had been broken.

The cross atop Zababdeh’s (now closed) Melkite church

But damage wasn't limited to the inside of the church. The grounds of the church (which are quite extensive and sit on the main road) are littered with all kinds of refuse. Someone has dug a barbeque pit, and one of the neighboring houses has set up their sewage to drain into a barrel buried on the church grounds.

We did rescue some items from there, including the plate and spoon used in Melkite communion.

Zababdeh’s (now closed) Melkite church has become a dumping ground

There something is really sad and staggering about seeing this kind of desacrilizing in person. Marthame has visited the Bishop to see what the future status of this church might be - now, more than ever, it seems important to make a decision.