Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / Local sister asks for prayers, peace for Middle East after visiting her congregation in Iraq
Local sister asks for prayers, peace for Middle East after visiting her congregation in Iraq
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published June 19, 2009
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Courtesy of Sr. Donna Markham, OP
Sr. Donna Markham, OP, visits with Archbishop Louis Sako, the Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk, and Sr. Maria Hanna, OP, prioress of the Dominican Sisters’ Congregation of St. Catherine of Siena, of Mosul. |
Detroit - After returning from a trip to Iraq, Sr. Donna Markham, OP, prioress of the Adrian Dominican congregation, said she has "great admiration" for the sisters and people living there.
"I was just so honored to be able to be with the sisters there," she said. "To me, it was a very sacred time, returning the message of reconciliation and forgiveness that they had extended to us."
She also came out of the experience with an important request: "I would ask that we all hold the people of Iraq in our prayers during this critical time in their history," she said in a statement. "Especially, let us pray for the success of the Christian community in carrying out dialogues among all parties in the interests of peace and forgiveness."
Sr. Markham was in Iraq May 25 to June 3 to meet with Dominican sisters whose Motherhouse is in Iraq, and to pray with them and Church leaders for peace, reconciliation and forgiveness, she said. She returned a visit years ago from Sr. Maria Hanna, OP, prioress of the Dominican Sisters' Congregation of St. Catherine of Siena, of Mosul. Out of that visit, the Adrian Dominican Sisters welcomed Iraqi Dominicans to live and minister with them to give the sisters some respite from the war, she explained.
Although she visited Christian villages where the sisters live and minister, she was unable to visit the Motherhouse in Mosul and Baghdad due to danger. "In speaking with the sisters and with leaders of the Catholic community, it was evident that the situation is far more complex than commonly reported by the media," she said. "My impression is that the tension between Muslims and Kurds is significant and contributes to a palpable sense of anxiety among the Christians who relate with both groups."
One difficulty Sr. Markham saw during her visit was how infrastructure for basic services, such as electricity and sanitation, in Christian villages remains compromised. "People have electricity for part of the day and it is very expensive," she said. "There is a marked problem of unemployment due to a lack of functioning businesses. This has led to numbers of Christians leaving the country in order to have a means of supporting their families."
Sr. Markham also met with Archbishop Louis Sako, the Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk, and Archbishop Georges Casmoussa, the Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Mosul. "There was a clear sense that the mission of the Church in Iraq at this time is one of bridging the divide between Muslims and Kurds and Muslims and Christians," she said. "... Both believe strongly that dialogue is the way to national reconciliation and are convinced that the Christians are key in mediating these conversations among various factions."
Archbishop Sako believes the future of Iraq "resides in the hands of those who live in the country now," she said. He believes the greatest need is for Iraqis "to stay in our country to help it, to live our mission, and to persevere here. Otherwise, this will be a big loss for both Christians and Muslims," she recalled.
Regardless of the difficult conditions under which people there live, Christians are able to publish Christian books and periodicals; also, the Dominican sisters are able to establish schools and hospitals to serve all.
"The people recognize that freedom is a great advantage, and hope that the tenuous peace process among all Iraqi people will eventually strengthen the bonds of unity in the country," Sr. Markham said. "The Dominican Sisters remain committed to the pastoral care, education and medical care of the Iraqi people. They have seemingly unbounded energy despite the daily challenges they face."
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