A Message from the
Salesians of Aleppo
“We Are Here, Close to the Young, Families, and Those in Need”
(ANS – Aleppo, Syria – December 2, 2024) – While Aleppo faces yet another period of profound uncertainty and hardship, the Salesians in the city have shared a message to reassure everyone of their continued presence and commitment to supporting and accompanying young people, families, and those in need as much as the current situation allows. Their focus remains firmly on Jesus, the source of eternal hope.
“Dear friends of
the Salesian Family, benefactors, and friends of Don Bosco, greetings from the
city of Aleppo, which is once again enduring a very challenging and harsh
period due to renewed fighting in the city,” begins Salesian Fr. Pier
Jabloyan, director of the local Salesian community and delegate for communications
of the Salesian Middle East Province (MOR), in a video recorded on Sunday,
December 1.
“Thank you for the
many messages of support, affection, and solidarity we have received. Many of
you are also asking for updates on the Salesian presence in the city. First of
all, let me assure you that we are here, staying close to the young, close to families,
and close to those in need. Like many other congregations and local churches
trying to assist as much as they can, we too are doing what is possible for so
many in difficulty, especially considering that the current situation has
caught us by surprise,” he continues.
Fr. Jabloyan
recounts recent events: “On Thursday, November 28, various opposition military
groups entered the city, which then fell into their hands. This created a lot
of doubt, fear, and a climate of anxiety for our young people. Many families
are living in uncertainty and doubt. The city is now closed—no one enters, no
one leaves. Several people tried to escape, but only a few managed to do so
with great difficulty and at great risk. Some families took over 35 hours to
get out of the city.
“The difficulties
we face are those of a war zone: lack of food and water,” he explains. ”Some
parts of the water system are no longer functional, which means the city is
left without water. We hope this issue will be resolved in the coming days.”
Despite limited
resources, the Salesians are doing their best: “Together with other young
people, we are trying to help families in difficulty, reaching places where we
can offer assistance, even if it is just a little. With such scarcity, we
cannot do much, but we can be present, encourage them, and listen to them—things
they need so much, especially since this situation took us all by surprise.”
In the midst of
this adversity, the Salesians share a message of hope: “On this First Sunday of
Advent, I want to convey a message of hope, especially as we are called to live
this Year of Hope. Today’s gospel spoke about the events of the end times:
challenges, signs, wars, etc. Perhaps we are tasting some of this now. But at
the same time, the source of hope lies in the Lord’s words, where He tells us
not to fall into ‘drunkenness’—meaning not to lose ourselves in worldly
distractions. It’s true that we are living through a very difficult period, but
this should not divert our eyes from the ultimate goal, which is the Lord
Jesus.”
This hope is
evident in the daily lives of the Salesians and their youths. Fr. Jabloyan
shares: “Today, we celebrated Mass online, as we did during the COVID period,
because many of our young people cannot leave their homes due to the daily
curfew. We spoke about how the Lord Jesus gives meaning to our lives. As
children of Don Bosco, who lived as though seeing the invisible, we too strive
to see Jesus in every action and to perceive His presence even in these
challenging times.”
He concludes his
message with a heartfelt request and farewell: “I greet you on behalf of all my
confreres in the community and across the Middle East Province. We ask for your
prayers and remembrance. We hope to meet you one day! A big hug to everyone. Goodbye!”
The video message
from Fr. Jabloyan, SDB, is available in the original Italian here.
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