Erbil, Iraq, Aug 9, 2017 / 15:32 pm
After three years in exile from Iraq's Nineveh Plain while it was occupied by the Islamic State, the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena are returning to their homeland to face the daunting challenge of rebuilding their destroyed communities.
"Three years ago, we left our homes at night to the unknown. We started a journey of displacement, exile and questioning," stated an Aug. 6 open letter from the Dominican Sisters in Erbil.
"Despite everything, we always dreamed of going back and finding our houses safe and sound, just as we left them. We strongly wished that we would return and kindle our candles for prayers, harvest our grapes, and read our books," the letter continued.
In 2014, the Nineveh Plain was overtaken by the Islamic State, forcing tens of thousands into exile and displacement. The Nineveh Plain territory lies between the city of Mosul, the country's second-largest city, and Iraqi Kurdistan.