This is a picture of Otan, a Maronite village in the Alawites Mountains, about 40 mitues by car west of Homos, northwest of Syria.
There I conducted a lenten spiritual retreat from April 26-31st. A group of six Maronite Marian OMM priests, plus the Maronite bishop of Tripoli and Lebanese religious, were spread over some eight Maronite parishes in Homos region, preaching daily in the churches about the Maronite Patriarchal Synod (2004), underlining the following themes: 1) Introducing the Maronite Patriarchial Synod, 2) Church & family, 3) Church and young people, 4) Church's liturgy, 5) Church & lay people.
The retreat consisted of daily Holy Mass, visiting the sick, and selected houses in Otan, evening bilbe studies, and evening parish prayers and adoration.