“One sentence made me think when I entered a formation meeting with a group of teenagers aged 15-16,” explains the Provincial of MOR. “I don't know what topic they were discussing, but one girl said, ‘Here we were taught to see the glass half full, rather than half empty... But the problem is that our glass is not only empty, it's really broken.”
“The sentence may seem to be exaggerated, or an outburst after the experience of the earthquake. However, I do not share this, but there is something in it that makes me reflect and empathize with the existential situation of these young people”, adds Fr León.
“They are young people who have no recollection of life without war; they have lived for years without electricity, without water, with scarcity of food and fuel; they have lived in a besieged city; they have feared attacks with chemical weapons or missiles; they all mourn a family member who died during the war; they live in constant economic depression (years of war, international sanctions, the explosion at the port in Beirut and the failure of Lebanese banks…); they have experienced cholera epidemics and the Covid-19 epidemic. What now? A large earthquake and other earthquakes, at least four, that exceeded 6 on the Richter scale”reflects the Salesian.
It was 4:17 a.m. on 6 February when the earth shook strongly. The courtyard in the Salesian house in Aleppo began to fill with people seeking safety in an area far from the buildings. There was anxiety and uncertainty. The Rector of the “Casa Don Bosco” in Aleppo, Father Mario Murru, assured them from the outset that “our house will always be open for those who need it.” At lunchtime there were already 50 refugees in the house, and by dinner there were 300. This number grew steadily in the following days to reach 500 people. And on 21 February, when another strong earthquake renewed fear, 800 people found shelter in the Salesian house.
The young people who have been attending the Salesian work for years, and who have always been involved in youth camp experiences, have thus suddenly become the natural leaders in managing the emergency. “It was moving to see the respect that the adults paid to young people. Not because they were designated authorities, but because of the moral authority acquired through their generous service.”
“Love has made us overcome barriers that none of us could have imagined. For the love of children, for the love of parents, for the love of friends, for the love of God... At a time when there was no reason to hope for anything... They found people to fight for with hope and everyone, rich and poor, became needy and shared what they had" he recalls.
Not only shelters and humanitarian aid; there were also other reasons why people stayed with the Salesians: “We are safer in God's house” they said. After some time, “I recognise that God's House has really protected many not only from earthquakes, but above all from loneliness and despair, through the celebration of the Eucharist, every morning, and the Rosary in the evening” explains the Salesian.
The Superior of the Salesians in the Middle East thanks all those who have been close to our Syrian brothers and sisters in difficulty; thanks to all those who pray for the victims, thanks to all those who in any way help in this extreme situation we are experiencing. A sincere thanks to all those who, also through Salesian Missions, help us to be at the service of those most in need.
