Walsh University, the only Catholic institution of higher education in the Youngstown Diocese, was featured in the inaugural issue of the Catholic Echo.
Here is an excerpt:
The persecution of Christians in the Middle East is a topic that has been making international headlines for over a decade. According to Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, Archbishop of Erbil (Iraq), there were 1.2 million Christians in Iraq in 2015, but the rise of ISIS took its toll. He said after ISIS left Iraq, there were only 150,000 Christians remaining, but that number has rebounded to 250,000—and nearly all of them are Catholic.
“As Iraqi Christians, decades of persecution and international neglect give the impression that we are weak, forgotten and nearly extinct,” said Archbishop Warda in an email interview. “Yes, we are persecuted, but we are not alone. We are part of a generous community of brothers and sisters in the faith. We come alive as a universal Church to live out the potential we have to remain in Iraq and sustain our light in a region known for war and corruption. Our people want to be a candle in the darkness.”
