“I had just been ordained a priest on Sept. 1, 2007, when I was assigned to serve at the Syriac Catholic Church of St. Thomas on the eastern coast of Mosul,” Mattuka recounted. “On the 40th day of my priesthood, Oct. 13, armed men ambushed Father Affas and me as we were leaving a condolence visit, heading to the Church of Our Lady of Fatima for me to celebrate my first Mass on her feast day.”
Describing the initial moments after his abduction as “a true testimony,” Mattuka explained, “every consecrated individual in Mosul knew at that time that they were subject to abduction and martyrdom. As a priest, I was persuaded that my fate would be similar to that of the two martyrs of Mosul — Father Raghid Kenni (2007) and Father Alexander (2006).”
“Our clothes and manner of responding during the interrogation revealed our identities to the abductors,” he continued. “We thanked God because all they wanted was a ransom; they didn’t plan to kill us. We were blindfolded in our makeshift prison.”
Mattuka said the first night was the most difficult. “I spent it in prayer and supplication: ‘Oh Lord, I am in deep sorrow because I did not have the opportunity to serve you for long. However, I am ready for martyrdom.’”
Prayer was the priests’ daily sustenance, Mattuka said. “We felt the Holy Spirit’s presence. We were at peace during our prayers. This gave me the wisdom to converse with our captors. The Holy Spirit guided my responses to convince them.”
He said the abductors were astonished to see him pray, bowing to the ground. He told them: “This is how Eastern Christians pray. Our Churches pioneered this posture of prayer that we’ve maintained for centuries.” He explained that “under the threat of death, the demand to renounce our faith never ceased. Our captors were surprised that we still rang the bells and celebrated Mass.”
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