“Dreamers of Hope.” This is how twenty young Syrians participating in the Jubilee of Young People chose to describe themselves. They are hopeful that their country will bounce back from many years of civil war and that they will regain the strength and confidence to face the future with peace and optimism. Two Franciscan friars from the Custody of the Holy Land will accompany them on this pilgrimage of hope. One of them is 29-year-old Father George Jallouf. He and his twin brother, Johnny, felt called to the priesthood while the war was raging all around them. They are both from Aleppo, a city ravaged by the Syrian war. They were ordained priests on 6 July 2024 by their uncle, Monsignor Hanna Jallouf, the apostolic vicar of Aleppo for Catholics of the Latin rite.
(Foto George Jallouf/SIR)
Their dream. “We had long dreamed of bringing a group of Syrian youths to Rome for the Jubilee,” Father George told SIR. “Unfortunately, the ongoing political situation and tensions made it impossible to obtain visas in time. Only one girl, who requested a visa independent of the group, managed to obtain a visa. Nevertheless, the dream came true for a group of young Syrian refugees living and studying in various European countries, including Sweden, Germany, Belgium, and France. They represent their peers who remained in their homeland.” For this Syrian group, the Jubilee began before July 28, the day the event started. “We arrived in Assisi last Friday,” said the friar, “to receive the blessing of our Seraphic Father Francis, to pray at his tomb, to pray to St. Clare, and to venerate the future saint Carlo Acutis.”
Great anticipation. The journey of the young Syrians to the seat of Peter began with this wholly Franciscan spirit. “The excitement is palpable,” says Father George. “We will arrive in Rome as pilgrims and pass through the Holy Doors of the four basilicas: St. Peter’s, St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. We will ask for a plenary indulgence. These will be days of prayer and encounters. It is our intention to participate in all the scheduled events. On August 1, we plan to participate in the Penitential Day at the Circus Maximus, which coincides with the Feast of the Pardon of Assisi. We will then proceed to Tor Vergata for the vigil on August 2 and the Mass with Pope Leo XIV on August 3.”
Rediscovering hope. “Our youths are eager to join their peers across the globe to spread hope and mercy,” adds the friar.
“We will pray for Syria, that it may rediscover hope and light after years of darkness wrought by war. We want to be instruments of hope for the people we meet, dreamers of hope.
Upon returning home, our young people will recount their experiences to their families who stayed behind in Syria, sharing what they have seen, heard, and experienced. And they will also share some of this light back home.”
(Foto George Jallouf/SIR)
Their hearts are in Syria. They have their gaze fixed on Rome, but their hearts are in Syria. “Our country and its rebirth are always on our minds. Young people can do so much for their homeland.
Dreaming of hope also means dreaming of peace,
working to achieve it.” “These young people,” Father George points out, “intend to return to Syria after finishing their studies. They want to make their contribution of ingenuity and peace. “Even in this way, the seeds of hope are sown.”
