Bells ringing again. Classrooms full once more. Children returning to study, to make friends, to discover the world and to have fun. In a Syria that has endured the burden of war for far too many years and the deep wounds inflicted by violence, poverty and the absence of a future, the reopening of a school is not simply a public event, but a sign of hope. Life begins again from here. And in this challenge, the Custody of the Holy Land has always stood alongside the Syrian population.

A continuous closeness, confirmed once again on Sunday, September 20, when the Terra Santa Schools reopened in Yaqubiya and Al Quniya. In the presence of civil and religious authorities, teachers, families and students, the Custos, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, highlighted the importance of the day for the entire community. “Rebuilding a school does not simply mean putting a building back on its feet. It means giving children back a place where they can grow, learn and dream,” said Fr. Ielpo. And reopening schools in such a difficult land above all means giving every child one more reason to stay, or giving those who have fled the possibility of returning after great suffering, looking towards the future.

The Franciscan presence thus confirms itself as a fundamental support for the entire population. On the one hand, there is spiritual comfort, the protection of holy places, and keeping the presence of the Church alive. On the other hand, there is support for the population that begins with the youngest. And education, as the Custos explained, is “one of the most important ways to build peace”. The Terra Santa Schools are not only intended to educate young people, but above all to form people capable of dialogue and of living together, respecting one another without discrimination or exclusion.

The aim of the Terra Santa Schools is to form well prepared young people, but also people capable of respecting one another, engaging in dialogue and building together a society in which there is a place for everyone, beyond religious and cultural affiliations. This was precisely the hope expressed by Fr. Ielpo, that the schools may be “homes of peace, places of encounter and fraternity”.

And in thanking Fr. Luai Bisharat and Fr. Khoukaz Masroub, who oversaw the reconstruction work, the Custos sent a message: “This is the most beautiful face of our Franciscan presence: remaining alongside the people, sharing their efforts and rebuilding hope together”. Yaqubiya and Al Quniya can thus live again thanks to the work of a tireless community that has not bowed before the great adversities it has endured during these long years of war.