Robbery at Deir Mar Musa
On August 3, around 11 pm, some twenty armed thieves came to the sheepfold (located at about 1.5 km from the monastery) where the shepherds dwell with the goat flock. They first destroyed the telephone, then took the shepherds’ cell phone to disable any communication. They said they were thieves who came with stolen means of transport. After that, they started looking for weapons!!! Under threat, they forced the two shepherds to load 103 goats and the cattle feed in a big truck. They also took the tractor along with the compressor we used for digging holes in the ground and the rock, and several materials they could find: a loss amounting to approx. 35,000 Euros. Three hours later, they left and took with them the two shepherds as hostages, but they finally released them in the mountains at a distance of a two-hours walk from the monastery. They also inquired about other engines or goods at the monastery, promising to take the rest with them next time they come.
It is the third time we receive unwelcome visitors without knowing if they are the same. The first time, they spread fear, pretending they were looking for weapons and money; the second time, they stole from a store in the valley in front of the monastery materials in the amount of approx. 12,000 Euros.
Are we afraid ? Yes. But we try to be careful, and feel with the people in Syria who are facing so many hardships. We place ourselves in the hands of the Lord, carrying on our life of prayer and intercession for peace and reconciliation.
The Monastic Community of Deir Mar Musa