About 100 people attended the Sunday morning mass in Irbil, which kicked off the march scheduled to run through Holy Week. 

"They will walk from Irbil to Alqosh in the Ninevah Plain, needing one week or more because the journey is very long, some 87 miles," Patriarch Louis Sako of Baghdad told Catholic News Service. "I will join them in a village near Alqosh on Holy Thursday."

Sako said the march is a "great occasion for unity" and he believes there is an opportunity to stand against the violence that has scarred Iraq.

In 2003, more than one million Christians were living in Iraq in 2003, but today's numbers are closer to 250,000. 

Many Iraqi Christians were either killed by the Islamic State or fled. However, now that U.S.-led coalition forces have taken several cities back for ISIS, the focus has returned to rebuilding homes and churches once destroyed by the terror group.

Sako said he hopes the peace initiative will be the start of "a real resurrection, a quick return of displaced to their homes, and a restoration of peace at our churches, country, and the whole world."

"Peace must be achieved by us [religious leaders] as well as politicians, through courageous initiatives and responsible decisions," he said.          

CBN News

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

MOVIEGUIDE's Review of the New Animated Film: DAVID

Massachusetts Drops Controversial Gender Ideology Mandate for Licensing Foster Care Parents

Nearly 40% of Women Suffer Severe Grief for Years after Abortion, Miscarriage: Study

Former Pfizer Vice President: COVID Shots Were 'Designed to Cause Injury,' Reduce Fertility

Dutch Sheets Shares a Warning from the US National Counterterrorism Center

Venezuela: Trump's Pressure Campaign and Maduro's Fury

President Trump Charts Accomplishments and Previews Future Policies during His Primetime Address

Secretary Hegseth and Franklin Graham Preach Gospel at Pentagon Christmas Service: 'Jesus Took Our Shame'

'Unsafe, Needless, Irreversible': HHS Sec. Kennedy Takes Sweeping Action to Reverse Biden-Era Policies on So-Called 'Gender Affirming Care'

Hobby Lobby Giving Away Half a Million Copies of Book Defending Biblical Christmas Story [Video]

Geothermal Blind Power Site Discovered in Nevada

Black Lives Matter Leader Indicted on Dozens of Federal Fraud Charges

DC Police Chief Forced Staff to Underreport Crime Counts, Subordinates Testify to House Oversight

'Shocking New Docs' Show Biden's DOJ Pressured FBI to Raid Mar-a-Lago, Says Grassley

Rob Reiner's Son Arrested In Connection With Brutal Slayings, Bail Set At $4 Million

Still No Suspect in Murder of Jewish MIT Professor

After Bondi Beach, the West Must Directly Confront Jihadism, Experts Say

'Chile Has Defeated Communism Today': José Antonio Kast Wins Presidential Race in Conservative Landslide

'He Takes My Breath Away': a Christmas Season Story from Give Him 15

President Trump Classifying Fentanyl as 'Weapon of Mass Destruction'