Syria - Christmas Message from Salesians in Aleppo: "There is always hope"

23 December 2016
Syria - Christmas Message from Salesians in Aleppo: "There is always hope"

(ANS - Aleppo) - The city is destroyed, in the background you can see only ruins ... But this year the message of hope of the God who became man resonates particularly in Aleppo. The Salesians have two rich treasures in their hearts - faith and young people. These give them the strength to say, as they have said in a video together with the young people: "Happy Christmas" and "there is always hope." The Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, was moved on seeing these images and has launched again his appeal for peace.

The Salesians have taken advantage of the end of the fighting in Aleppo to go with the young people to visit some of the areas of the city and to make a video to greet all who have supported them and continue to support them with prayer and material assistance.

The Rector, Fr Georges Fattal, says: "Dear friends, our Salesian confreres, benefactors, all those who have thought about us in your prayers and supported us with your help, we want to wish you Happy Christmas from the city of Aleppo, where we lived with our young people during the war. We really want to say thank you and Happy Christmas."

Fr Pier Jabloyan adds: "as Salesians we want to send these greetings from here, this place which has been destroyed, to tell you that there is still hope with these young people and other young people of the city, other religious, local churches. There is always hope. These young people now want to say to all the Salesians, to all benefactors, all those who are watching us, best wishes for a Happy Christmas on behalf of Don Bosco in Aleppo. Happy Christmas!"

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/2378-syria-christmas-message-from-salesians-in-aleppo-there-is-always-hope#sigProId64896c10c5

The Rector Major has sent them the following Christmas message:

My dear Salesian confreres, members of the Salesian Family and friends of Don Bosco:  Today, two days before Christmas, I received the video with the greeting for Christmas from our Confreres in Aleppo and these wonderful young people of the Salesian Youth Movement.

I could not restrain my emotion. Seeing the ruins that speak of death and pain has touched my heart. But the life being lived by our Confreres and our young people also raises questions for me and fills me with HOPE.

Even among the ruins life is born and will be born again because this is the eternal promise of our God, even if there are human conflicts that lead to destruction.

I am profoundly impressed by your message and I invite everyone to join in prayer to ask the Child Jesus for PEACE in the world and for PEACE also in Syria. And I invite all to join in giving thanks because their testimony and their faith make us better.

I ask the Lord that there may be Christmas also in Aleppo this year; that the tenderness and the caress of God may touch every heart and that the salvation that comes to us from him may heal all people.

Happy Christmas my dear brothers, sisters, and young people of Aleppo and wherever there is war.

InfoANS

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