A statue of the Virgin Mary within the collapsed Annunciation Cathedral in Alexandretta, Türkiye was left undamaged amid the massive earthquake that hit the country and Syria on Monday, Feb. 7.
In a report from the Catholic News Agency (CNA), Turkish Jesuit priest Father Antuan Ilgit shared pictures of the cathedral ruins in his Facebook page.
The image of Mary can be seen still standing and unharmed, surrounded by scattered debris.
Father Ilgit shared that he was shocked by the collapse of the cathedral where he held mass one day prior to the earthquake. He also recovered an image of the Madonna from the ruins.
“We are all in the refectory, which is more accessible, where we also celebrated Mass! I brought the image of the Madonna from the cathedral; this image will be our strength and with her, we will face everything,” the priest said.
“We continue to trust in God and in his holy providence. It’s raining, it’s cold, and the tremors are very strong. We feel your closeness and count on it. We also hold beloved Syria in our hearts. May the Lord keep us in his love and be gracious to us!” he added.
As of Feb. 10, the death toll of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake has risen to a total of 21,051 with 17,674 deaths recorded in Türkiye and 3,377 in Syria.