Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Homs

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was built in 1912 for the Syriac Catholic archbishopric of Homs. It stands on the northern edge of the old city, in the al-Hamidiyah quarter. The walls are black basalt. Black and white stone bands the arches and windows. During the civil war rockets broke through its roof; it was repaired after 2015.

Where it is

The cathedral is on the south side of Hamidiyah Street, inside the group of buildings west of al-Maljaa Street. The church itself runs west to east along the back lane parallel to the main street, and its side buildings turn off at a right angle at the east end. The Umm al-Zunnar Church and the Forty Martyrs Cathedral are in the same old city, within walking distance.

What to see

From outside, the building is marked by the dome at its east end and the three-barred cross above it. Like much of Homs, the church is built of black basalt, but black and white stones alternate in the arches and around the windows. Inside, pointed arches carry a tall nave, and the altar stands framed by columns.

What happened in the war

According to Father Michel Naaman, who stayed in Homs throughout the war, five rockets went through the cathedral roof. Mass went on anyway. Bomb fragments lay on the floor during services. When the last armed rebels left the city in December 2015, restoration began and continued through the following years, and the roof was the first part of the building to be closed.

Whose church it is today

The cathedral is the seat of the Syriac Catholic archbishopric of Homs, Hama and Nabk. Theophilus Philip Barakat became archbishop in April 2016; since January 2023 the post has been held by Jacques Mourad. Mourad is one of the priests who revived the monastic community at Deir Mar Musa, near Nabk. Every year on 28 January the church keeps the feast of Saint Ephrem the Syrian. Several charitable, medical, school and disability services are also based here.