Religious Sisters and their school under the bombs
For 57 years, the Sisters of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret have taught Christian and Shia children and youth to live together in Dahye, a Hezbollah stronghold on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital. Since war broke out, a hundred families have been forced to flee, and about 20 had their homes destroyed. The wounds caused by fear are invisible amid the uncertainty about the future. The feeling that someone is close to them is the only sign of hope.
Milan (AsiaNews) – The Sisters of Charity of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret run a school for 700 children aged three to seventeen, half-Christian and half-Shia Muslim, in an area south of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, which has been repeatedly struck by Israel.
In fact, “For several days now, our region has been living to the rhythm of bombings,” reads a statement issued by the school administration. “Our school is located on the edge of Beirut’s southern suburbs (Dahye), an area heavily affected by the strikes. Day and night, the sound of explosions echoes very close to us. This reality has profoundly disrupted the lives of our families and our students.”
Yet, in this difficult context, where tensions sometimes strain relations between different communities, the Sisters teach pupils to understand one another. AsiaNews met them a few months ago, on the eve of the visit of Pope Leo XIV in Beirut.
The principal, Sister Wafaa Racheed, discreetly opened the door to the first-grade classroom for us, pointing out a shy, curly-haired boy among the children raising their hands to introduce themselves. His name is Ali, after the highly revered imam of Shia Islam, but his middle name is Charbel, in honour of the Maronite Christian saint considered the patron saint of Lebanon.
“Ali Charbel perfectly represents the daily reality of our school,” said Sister Wafaa.
She let us glimpse at this before explaining the daily work in favour of peace the school has carried out for the past 57 years, which can be found in the PIME magazine Mondo e Missione.
"In collaboration with the Adiyan Foundation, which works to foster encounters between different communities, our young people participate in dedicated sessions where Christians and Muslims have the opportunity to get to know each other more deeply and journey together,” said Sister Michèle El Hajj, in charge of secondary education.
"The goal is to help them (pupils) feel that others do not pose a threat,” which is “a message our young people often absorb from their surroundings, sometimes even within their families."
Today, this reality is also something that is experienced under Israeli strikes, shared with hundreds of thousands of others in Lebanon, caught in the madness of this war.
“According to initial information gathered following an investigation conducted a week after the start of the bombing, 122 families from our school community had to leave the area to seek refuge elsewhere, often in dire circumstances,” reads the statement from the school management.
“Some left with very little, leaving behind their homes, their memories, and sometimes even their belongings. Among them, 22 families saw their homes severely damaged or completely destroyed by the bombing. Several children are now displaced, living temporarily with relatives or in shelters, sometimes without their school supplies and even without sufficient clothing.”
“In this context, the school had to close its doors for in-person classes to ensure the safety of students and staff. We tried to continue teaching online, but the situation remains very complicated. Many students have been displaced, some no longer have access to Internet; others have lost their equipment or live in conditions that don't always allow them to follow the lessons.”
For the Sisters, “Despite everything, our teachers remain deeply committed. They try, as much as possible, to stay in touch with the students, to encourage them, and to offer them a minimum of stability during a time marked by fear, uncertainty, and displacement.”
“Beyond the material hardships, our children also suffer from invisible wounds: the fear of bombings, the worry for their loved ones, the anguish of not knowing when they will be able to return home, to their neighbourhoods, their schools, and their friends.”
In spite of this terrible situation, the Sisters are grateful to all those who show their support. “In this trying time, your support takes on an even deeper meaning. It is a sign of hope; even from afar, people continue to believe in their future. May God keep you and bless you.”
.png)
