Franciscan Holy Land College bombed in Syrian city of Aleppo

By Kielce Gussie

The Franciscan complex of the Holy Land College in Aleppo, Syria, was heavily damaged by a Russian attack on December 1. The Franciscan of the Custody of the Holy Land confirmed there were no victims.

The college is located in an inner section of the monastery near the church where Mass was scheduled to be celebrated later that same evening.

Heavy damage, but no casualties

The Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Patton, affirmed in a statement that “thanks be to God, there are no casualties or injuries; only the building was damaged.”

He reported all the friars and parish members were doing well and that the Franciscan Curia is “in constant contact with them.”

The Custos explained the community feels “a growing tension and fear among the civilian population of Aleppo” regarding the “unpredictable developments of the ongoing confrontation.”

Fr. Patton urged all Christians in the Holy Land and all Churches to come together in “prayer for peace in Syria, which has been ravaged by long years of war and violence.”

Syria: more than a decade of conflict

The college was just one of the many places damaged in Aleppo—one of the oldest cities in the world—following the eruption of violence in the last five days.

Dating back twelve years, the Syrian civil war began as a political conflict between pro-democracy demonstrators and government forces.

Anti-government soldiers ride in military vehicles in the eastern part of the Aleppo province

With this new advance by jihadist rebels opposed to the president, Bashar al-Assad, activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that for the first time since 2012, Aleppo has been overrun by these rebels.

SANA, the Syrian state news agency, reported that, on December 1, joint Syrian-Russian air forces carried out airstrikes in a city outside Aleppo.

Holding onto hope

Since the violence reignited on November 27, more than 300 people have been killed and at least 15,000 people displaced from their homes, according to United Nations reports.

These figures are expected to rise as rebel forces have entered the Hama region in Syria. The UN has also begun evacuations from Aleppo to Damascus.

Some residents of Aleppo shared via WhatsApp that they continue to hope as they “live day by day,” wondering when they “will no longer live in this dramatic situation.” They describe how “daily life is not easy” living amid bombings, curfews, mortar fire, and snipers.