(A burnt Canadian church)
A Canadian church which was recently burned in an arson attack has raised over $700,000 to rebuild its burnt building. On July 19, St. George Coptic Orthodox Church of Surrey, British Columbia was affected in one of the arson attacks on Canadian churches in the past months.
The church which is almost 70 years old brought together people of different countries. After the incident, the congregation of the church worshipped at St. Joseph The Damascene Antiochian Orthodox Church which was nearby.
However, an online fundraiser was made in its website to help rebuild the church. According to Steve Faltas, a board member at St. George, more than $700,000 has been raised so far. He said that the fund is a huge blessing although it is not up to what is needed to rebuild the church.
"The building was very old but quite large and provided space for over 400 families who attended a variety of regular services offered nearly every night of the week.
"We have insurance, but given the age and value of the building, the amount that will be covered will be much less than what it will cost us to rebuild. So, we are urging anyone and everyone who is able to make a contribution to our rebuilding efforts [to do so]. We would greatly appreciate it," he told The Christian Post.
The burning down of churches started after mass graves of indigenous children were found in the locations of schools which were formerly owned by churches and the government. However, Faltas said that St. George was never involved in the residential school program. He added that "no place of worship is currently safe in Canada."
"Places of worship are currently under attack nationally and will continue to be until there is a political solution to the narrative. We urge the Canadian Government to invest the money and effort required to ensure places of worship and their congregants [are] safe and to assist in the rebuilding process," Faltas said.
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