Hundreds of Iraqi Christians exiled by ISIS celebrated Palm Sunday at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the war-torn nation's second-largest city for the first time in three years.
After Mass, congregants were escorted by soldiers carrying rifles for a walk through Qaraqosh to commemorate the start of Holy Week; they held up a banner saying "In times of war we bring peace," Reuters reported.
In the trashed church, ISIS slogans were scrawled on wall and torn-up prayer books were strewn on the floor; the alter is ruined, Reuters reported.
Qaraqosh was home to Iraq's biggest Christian settlement until jihadists arrived in June 2014, demanding Christians pay a tax, convert to Islam or die by the sword. It has been a ghost town as the battle for Mosul rages about 12 miles away, Reuters reported.
Though ISIS left town in October 2016, Christian exiles have yet to move back, Reuters reported.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.