The Syrian Orthodox Church in Europe has lost its esteemed leader and shepherd

Jan Westendorp, Mayor of Losser 

His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka the First Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, [...] our Secretary of State, Mr Queens Commissioner [...] calling in from the province of Overijssel, Mr Ambassador, representative of the people of Lebanon, Mr Ambassador, representative of the people of Syria, members of the Syrian Orthodox Church, ladies and gentlemen.

With the death of Bishop Yulius Yeshu` Cicek, the Syrian Orthodox Church in Europe has lost its esteemed leader and shepherd. The report of his death comes as a blow to everyone within your church community and to everyone who knew him personally. There are many who do all across Europe and among us because Archbishop Cicek was a prominent man. He travelled untiringly to the faithful communities of his and your church in our part of the world. Everywhere he brought his faith to his people. With his warm personality he knew how to make people enthusiastic and was a father to all Syrian Orthodox Christians not just in Europe but here too, in our country, in our [...], in our Losser municipality. We are in deep mourning.

The Archbishop attached importance to good relations with the secular community and its representatives. For example, he recently attended my installation ceremony as Mayor of Losser. He was just there among the people waiting in the queue at that [...] during the reception. That is most characteristic of him - his modesty, his friendliness, his interest in people. Archbishop Cicek can be regarded as one of those who laid the groundwork and lead the charge for the Syrian Orthodox community in Europe--a church that slowly but surely took shape in the Netherlands and elsewhere towards the end of the last century with the arrival of members from South Eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Once they were in Western Europe they could count on the ever constant support of their archbishop who has chosen the Netherlands or more specifically the small town in the municipality of Losser as his second home.

The ties between Losser and the Syriac Orthodox community have been very close from the beginning. It was Archbishop Cicek in particular who whenever an opportunity presented itself proved to be a warm proponent of good conduct. For our part we have always had great appreciation for the church's interest in our activities. This added to the friendship, the friendly relationship between your community and our municipality--a friendship that went beyond formalities. In turn, we also followed the activities of your congregation with more than a superficial interest.

Archbishop Cicek started by bringing together fellow-believers who had fled when he established himself in 1977 as a monk in Hengelo. He was at the basis in the region for today's flourishing community of believers in Glane, Enschede, Hengelo, Oldenzaal, Rijssen and Gronau. He also organized Syrian Orthodox churches in countries such as Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France. In less than 30 years time, the European Church of Archbishop Yulius Yeshu` Cicek has grown by more than 250,000 members to become the largest Syrian Orthodox Church congregation in the world.

Two years after his appointment and dedication as archbishop in 1979, he purchased the former Saint Olaf Kloister in Glane. After major renovation and expansion, he set it up as a center for the church. In 1984, the Patriarch festively dedicated the Kloister to the Syrian Saint Ephrem. Losser gladly approved that choice. We were very honored, very honored, by the choice of our municipality as the church's center for hundreds and thousands of Syrian Orthodox Christians in Western Europe.

In 1995, the Maria church was built in addition. It was one of the many new churches that were built in Europe at the initiative of the dynamic archbishop Cicek.

With the passing of Bp. Cicek, a special man, a highly esteemed man, and a man of international importance has departed this life.

We are thankful to have known him as a resident of our municipality-Losser.

He will live on in our memories

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Transcript of the speech in English by the Mayor of Losser, The Netherlands, from the video coverage, provided by Dr. Thomas Joseph.

Video Link of the Final Rites: http://www.suryoyo-online.org/ 

The coverage is in Dutch and the rites are in Syriac. However, the video footage which was broadcast nationally in the Netherlands, helps us experience the final rites.
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Volume 1. Issue 12.