Five years ago, a beautiful effort was made by some American soldiers to restore the oldest monastery in Iraq, St. Elijah's Monastery, which is located south of Mosul, dating from the sixth century. Now, for the first time in sixteen centuries, there are no Sunday Masses being celebrated in the city, as reported by Christianity Today:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/12/19/world/1219-MONASTERY_index.html
St. Elijah's Monastery, an ancient site of Christian worship and martyrdom, is now stuck in the middle of a sprawling military base just south of Mosul, in northern Iraq. United States Army engineers have drawn up plans to shore up the roof and walls of its main sanctuary -- believed to have been built in the 11th century -- before the last American troops leave the monastery to an uncertain fate.
Photo: Eros Hoagland for The New York Times
