Ceremonies in three Christian towns in Iraq's devastated Nineveh Plain on Monday marked the start of work to rebuild up to 13,000 homes damaged or destroyed by fighting.
Work has begun on the first 100 homes, supported by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
Each of the owners of the homes was presented with olive trees to be planted near them as a symbol of peace and reconciliation, according to the Zenit news service.
The ceremonies took place in the Christian towns of Bartella, Karamless and Qaraqosh, badly damaged by Islamic State. Members of the Nineveh Reconstruction Committee, which includes members of the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Syriac Catholic Church and the Chaldean Catholic Church, were present.
Father Andrzej Halemba, head of the Middle East desk for for ACN, described the the launch of Nineveh plain rebuilding effort as 'a historic and unrepeatable occasion for the future of Christianity in Iraq'.
He said: 'By starting work on these first three reconstruction sites, we are hoping to send a clear signal to the thousands of Christian families who were driven from their homes and who have been living in makeshift conditions in Erbil and other towns of Iraqi Kurdistan.'
He continued: "This is a decisive historical moment. If we now miss the opportunity to help the Christians return to their homes on the Nineveh plane, these families might well decide to leave Iraq forever. That would be an enormous tragedy.
'The presence of the Christians in this region is of vital importance, and not only historically, but also politically and culturally. The Christians represent a bridge of peace between the various Muslim groups that are fighting each other; Christians make a crucial contribution to the educational system and are respected by all moderate Muslims.'
Syriac Catholic Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche, who presented olive trees in the ceremony at Quaraqosh, said: 'We do not want to pay attention to the voices of those who would discourage us because they want to prevent the reconstruction. We stand by our decision to return, despite all the challenges that await us. Christ is our tower of strength that gives us hope. We must persevere, because this is our soil and our heritage.'
