People fainted and others were crying during the first service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s south-west since a knife attack on Monday, parishioners say.
Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Father Isaac Royel were injured during the stabbing, which was captured on livestream.
The alleged stabber, a 16-year-old boy, has been charged with committing a terrorist act and three other men have been charged in relation to the melee out the front of the Wakeley church immediately afterward.
More than 20 police officers were injured and numerous patrol cars were damaged.
Today the sermon promoted peace and encouraged parishioners not to give in to hatred.
Susan Khoshaba regularly attends the church and said the mood inside was joyful.
“I was so happy, I couldn’t wait actually,” she said.
“It was very emotional, some people started crying and some people fainted, but in general it was a very happy atmosphere.”
Ms Khoshaba’s husband was at the church when the attack happened.
She said he was distressed, not only about what happened inside the church but also because of the riot afterward.
“It was horrible, I don’t want to even think about it.
“The police were called here, they came here to assist us, and what happened is really quite sad.”
Yalda Adam is also a member of the church and said he was shocked by what had happened and was thrilled to have returned.
He described the atmosphere at the service as “back to normal”.
“I feel happy, very happy,” Mr Adam said.
“We miss our bishop, we miss our Father Isaac, but this makes us more determined to pray, and to pray to everybody.”
Accused rioter banned from area
Issa Haddad, 28, who allegedly rioted outside the Assyrian Orthodox Church, has been banned from Wakeley.
He was granted bail at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday accused of taking part in Monday night’s “public order incident”.
The disability support pensioner was charged with threatening unlawful violence that would cause a person of “reasonable firmness” to fear for their safety.
On Saturday, Sam Haddad, 45, was charged and released on bail. Earlier in the week 19-year-old Doonside man Dani Mansour was also charged and granted bail with strict conditions.
A police prosecutor told the court about 2,000 people filled the street outside the church.
Legal Aid lawyer Skye Cesarone, for Mr Haddad, said her client was a “vulnerable” person with bipolar.
She said the words Mr Haddad allegedly spoke were on the “lower end of objective seriousness”.
If convicted, Mr Haddad faced up to six months’ jail, but Ms Cesarone said he would be unlikely to receive a prison term.
Magistrate Alan Railton ordered Mr Haddad to report to Liverpool Police Station daily and prohibited him from entering Wakeley.
As part of the conditions of his release, Mr Haddad must live with his father at Cecil Park and adhere to a curfew between the hours of 7am and 7pm.
The matter was due to return to Fairfield Local Court on April 29.