Together We Build The Church

  The Holy Protomartyr Thecla, Equal to the Apostles, Thecla was the first woman evangelist in the Church. She came from a very wealthy and honorable pagan family in Iconium . She was very well-educated in the pagan philosophy and poetry. At the age of 18 her father arranged an engagement between Thecla and Thamyris, a pagan prince.

  When Saint Paul left Antioch and began evangelizing Christ in Iconium, Thecla listened to his teachings and converted to Christianity and became one of his first students. She renounced marriage and devoted her life as a virgin for Christ.

 When Thecla’s family and fiancé knew that she had converted to Christianity and had dedicated her life as a virgin for Christ, refusing to many, they reported her to the governor who ordered that she be burned at the stake. When the fire was lit, Thecla walked courageously toward it, making the Sign of the Cross. Suddenly a strong wind blew and heavy rain poured down that extinguished the fire. People were frightened and went home, and Thecla was not harmed.

 After that incident, Thecla was sent to Antioch where the Roman judge there ordered that she be thrown to the lions. When they brought her into the arena and everybody was watching, she made the Sign of the Cross and offered her spirit to the Lord. At once, the lions came close and started licking her feet. So the judge ordered that she be imprisoned. The following day she was brought out and each of her arms was tied to a bull. The soldiers started branding the bulls with red-hot irons, expecting that the bulls would drag Thecla alive. But the bulls didn’t move and remained calm. Then she was thrown into a valley with poisonous snakes. A fire began and destroyed the snakes and Thecla was saved too.

 After all these incidents, the judge asked Thecla “Who are you, that you are always saved?’ Her answer was, “I am a daughter of Christ, Son of the living God. He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life; He is the one who protects me. To Him be Glory and Power for ever and ever.” Then the judge set her free. And many people came to believe in Christ. The queen, Tryphaena, in Antioch gave her money to care for the poor and to find Saint Paul.

 After this, Thecla met St. Paul again in Miralikia, and told him everything. He encouraged her to continue her mission in preaching the Word. Then Thecla went back to her town to evangelize the people there, especially her mother. (Her fiancé had died by this time.) After that, Thecla went to Seleucia of Isauria and spent the rest of her life there helping the poor and caring for the sick.

  Thecla died in Seleucia at the age of 80. She was buried there and a church was built over her tomb and dedicated to her.
 We have more than 50 churches for her in Lebanon

Two at DAQQOUN : 1st Church more than 300 years ago. 2nd one just before the Lebanese civil war.
After 14 Feb 1984 Daqqoun was occupied: 1st church nothing left. 2nd church they try to take it down but miraculously they can't finish it down.
Sep. 2006 St. Thecla's day After the return to DAQQOUN 1st mass in the broken church
2007 work begins in the church
2008 we start the rebuilding process
The future is good:

    Cause together we build our Church

With the help of Jesus & our Great Saint Thecla

 

    Thanks For Help :

 لجنة وقف رعية مارت تقلا _ دقون

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