Iraqi priest recounts night of exodus, ISIS invasion a decade later

Father Martin Banni in front of St. Barbara’s Shrine carrying the Eucharist on Liberation Day in 2016. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Martin Banni

ACI MENA, Aug 7, 2024 / 11:21 am (CNA).

Ten years have passed since the night that changed everything for the residents of Karamlesh, a small town in northern Iraq. For Father Martin Banni, pastor of St. Korkis Chaldean Church, the memories of that traumatic day remain vivid.

Banni revisited the events of Aug. 6, 2014, in a recent interview with ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. Residents of Karamlesh, a town in the Nineveh Valley, on that day woke to the sound of bombardment and tragic news: a woman and two children had been killed in Qaraqosh. Panic spread as people fled, seeking safety from an unknown threat.

“Amid growing fear and the sound of exchanges between security forces and ISIS fighters, we took refuge in the church,” Banni recounted. “We held prayers for the feast of the Transfiguration and celebrated Mass, even as ISIS was just 20 minutes away.”

“At that time, I was with Bishop Boulos Thabet, then pastor of the Karamlesh church,” Banni continued. “I was still a seminarian, preparing for the priesthood. As we moved through town trying to reassure people, we received alarming news at 10 p.m.: ISIS had captured Tel Keppe, the first Christian village to fall. Tel Keppe, about eight miles northeast of Mosul in the Nineveh Governorate, marked a significant advance for the militants. Caught between uncertainty and caution, Church authorities ordered an evacuation to Erbil. Fear gripped the community as ISIS drew nearer and security forces withdrew, leaving us exposed to the terrorist threat,” he added.

“We rang the church bells as a warning,” Banni continued. “We sent people to alert the sick and elderly that church vehicles would transport them. Under gunfire, we gathered important church documents and sacred vessels, preparing to leave.”

For Banni, the night holds deep significance. “The Body of Christ became my companion in two of life’s most crucial moments,” he said. 

“God blessed me with the gift of taking the Eucharist from our church that night. It remained with us throughout our exodus, safe from desecration by ISIS.”

Then, upon Karamlesh’s liberation, Banni was the first to return with the Eucharist. 

“I also thank God for being the first one to bring the Most Holy Body to my town. This sacrament accompanied me through exodus and return,” he said. “I walked through town, blessing its churches, homes, and people with the Most Holy Body.”

The priest sees divine providence in these events. 

“The Eucharist amplified my hope of return,” he stated. “God’s hand sustained us through our trials, just as it protected the Israelites following Moses across the Red Sea. This blessing fortified our resolve to rebuild, knowing God’s protection surrounds us.”

Banni called for prayers for Iraq’s Christians. He asserted that persecution has only strengthened the Church’s resolve and the faith of its members. Echoing Pope Francis’ words from a recent visit, he affirmed: “The Church of Iraq is truly alive, and Christ lives among his people, working miracles through them.”

This article was first published by ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.