“La Vergine Maria ha fermato i proiettili con le Sue stesse mani" Divine intervention saved convent: Syria nun

Founded in 547, the convent of Our Lady of Saidnaya is a leading Antiochian Orthodox nunnery, which overlooks a mountain village of the same name, just 35km from Damascus. The convent includes a school for orphans, whose costs are covered by private donations, according to a brochure distributed by the complex.
The nunnery is a major pilgrimage center and lies not far from the villages of Jabadin and Maalula, where people still speak Syriac, the modern version of Aramaic.

Sister Stefanie, the head of Sednaya Monastery, shows journalists damage caused to the convent during a recent shelling on Tuesday. Journalists were taken to the monastery northwest of the capital, Damascus, on a government-organized trip to view damage caused to the convent that came under artillery fire on Sunday.  

Feb 02, 2012

Photo: AFP

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/photo/2012/02/02/2008068488