(ANS – Rome) - "Every time I visit Aleppo I see a city increasingly destroyed. Until a few years ago this great city, one of the oldest in the world, had about three million inhabitants. Now it is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world." They are words of Fr Munir El Rai, Superior of the Salesians in the Middle East, about Aleppo, his hometown, which he visited last July.

When I arrived at the Salesian House, the Salesians and the young people welcomed me with a spirit of Christian and Salesian joy and optimism. (...) Then I met the confreres. I was happy to see that even today, this work is producing many vocations to consecrated Salesian life and to the Salesian Cooperators. I thanked the Salesians of Aleppo for their witness of religious life and continuous donation carried out with great sacrifice for the youth of Aleppo. (...)

In Aleppo I had one of the most moving experiences of my life, the ordination of Pier Jabloyan in our church on July 11. (...) Despite the death, destruction and suffering that reign in the city, this was a precious sign of life, of giving and joy. Pier is an ordinary priest in an extraordinary time, a young man who had grown up in the oratory in Aleppo. After his ordination he was appointed to work in that same oratory.

In Aleppo also I took part in the summer activities for young people. They were very well organized and managed. This year saw the participation of over 700 children and young people from various parts of the city. A shuttle service was provided to bring them safely to the Salesian House. For them and their families attending the Salesian house means being able to breathe an air of joy and hope in a family atmosphere - “Ghèr ‘alam”, which means literally "another world", an oasis of peace.

(...) This year, after a break of four years, the Salesian community decided to organize summer camps for the children who attend the oratory. After four years of "captivity" in the city, 180 junior secondary school students and later 140 senior high school students, accompanied by several leaders and collaborators, were able to enjoy five days in the mountains near our work in Kafroun.  They lived together as one big family, sharing moments of joy and prayer, and for the first time they could sleep without hearing the sound of war.

Aleppo had a large number of Christians of various rites and churches, but there has been a continuous decline in that number, which is now reduced to about two thirds of the original number. The haemorrhage of Christians is due to the extension of the conflict, the socio-economic situation and the high cost of living, and the lack of job opportunities and basic necessities, and also to the destruction of Christian neighbourhoods.

(...) The lack of running water and electricity forces people to survive with reduced amounts of water, especially drinking water, with serious consequences in terms of health. They also have to cope with the shortage of electricity which makes the most basic daily activities difficult.

Published 08/09/2015