Rhode Island has had a robust Syrian population for decades, when immigrants filled RI's textile mills in the early 20th century.

One of Syria's oldest churches hosts its first Christmas Day mass since the fall of the Assad regime:: Damascus, SyriaThe morning service went smoothly, with a chorus of hymns filling the historic church.

Syrian Christians attended Christmas Eve services on Tuesday for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. The now ruling Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, HTS, in Syria had after overthrowing Assad pledged to protect the rights of the country’s religious minorities.