With the missionary journey of St. Francis, the Friars Minor have been in the Middle East for 800 years. Br FRANCESCO PATTON, ofm Custos of the Holy Land "I would dare to say that our presence has been since the beginning, because since the time of St. Francis that we have been present in Syria. Then there were times when we were more present and times when we were less present." In the words of Brother Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor and Brother Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, the challenges of the mission in Syria. A community scarred by war and the latest earthquake. Br MASSIMO FUSARELLI, ofm Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor "In these days in Syria I was able to realize firsthand the situation in this land, I knew I always informed myself, I read, I saw pictures. But seeing, going through the places, meeting the people is another thing, as also our friars. So I saw a very beautiful land, very rich, with a lot of potential. A land very wounded by the war, by the earthquake, by everything that happened and at the same time. However, I meet people with a lot of dignity and with a lot of determination. Certainly also with a lot of fatigue, with the fatigue also of staying in this land, I would say that here you find a little bit a lot of different situations and feelings mixed together." Br MASSIMO FUSARELLI, ofm Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor "And finally I can say before I came to Syria I spent two days in Lebanon, a different situation but even there I saw the friars who stay with the people, are next to the communities and try to give hope. Word I say it still very difficult to speak in these conditions however it is part of our faith in God. God is greater than any destruction, than any human power and he will know how to give these people his peace." Shortly after the terrible earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey earlier this year, the Custos went to visit friars in the Custody and communities in great need, and he tells us what he found. Br FRANCESCO PATTON, ofm Custos of the Holy Land "Let's say that in the past months there has definitely been a strong effort on the part of our friars to help people in the villages, even to rebuild their homes. There in Aleppo the effort has also been in helping them to return to their homes and also to regain some serenity. However, it is very difficult because the economic situation is so tragic. I would say that many people still feel the desire to leave and do not feel like staying any longer." Br. Patton recalls moments of encouragement for the Christian community. Br FRANCESCO PATTON, ofm Custos of the Holy Land "Father Hanna's episcopal consecration was a moment of celebration, in my opinion extraordinary, and the thing that struck me most was to see how people recognized themselves in the bishop. That is, to see that people felt represented by this confrere who was always there at his place, next to his flock, next to his faithful and who risked his life for them." Br FRANCESCO PATTON, ofm Custos of the Holy Land "And afterwards, I have to say, I also very much appreciated what was the Homily, the words, of Cardinal Gugerotti, the prefect of the dicastery for the Eastern Churches. He had very strong words of condemnation against those who are behind the wars and those who continue to starve civilian populations, to put civilian populations in trouble through precisely wars, forms of embargoes, sanctions that penalize the poorest." In the Words of the Custos of the Holy Land also the wish on the occasion of the Feast of St. Francis. Br FRANCESCO PATTON, ofm Custos of the Holy Land "The wish that I naturally make on the occasion of the feast of St. Francis is that all of us may, like Francis, rediscover how much the Gospel gives meaning, flavor, orientation to our lives. And how much through the Gospel we can really meet, listen, follow Jesus Christ and through him, together with him, walk the path of our lives to then reach that goal which is eternal life, communion with God."