Little sister Pia Lucia

FRIEND OF JESUS AND OF THE POOR
IN THE LAST DAYS OF 2022, PIA LUCIA, LITTLE SISTER OF JESUS, DIED.
A missionary for 40 years in Syria and 10 years in Lebanon, this Piedmontese nun dedicated herself to the poor of Damascus and Aleppo, in a hidden life made up of prayer and service. Sister Pia had to flee Syria due to the infirmities of age and the extreme conditions of the war, impossible to sustain, and she fled to Lebanon, in Beirut, where she continued to assist Syrian refugees.
We remember her with gratitude and affection, grateful to have had her for so many years as a friend of hers and as an example of her faith incarnate, her "bearer" of the Gospel thanks to her life alongside her last ones

1992 • KAYSARI – Türkiye
Two of us left Syria, Mariuccia and I, to reach the refugee camps of Turkey (eight in all) and evaluate what can be done. We first went to the Kaysari camp (Caesarea of Cappadocia), which is located more than 80 km from the city and where 1,200 people live: men, women, children, all Christians. They have been living there for several months, after having fled their country by walking for several days in the cold, in the snow. Some, during their escape, died because they were unable to bear the fatigue of the journey, others because they drowned in the river they had to ford. Kaysari camp is controlled by the Turkish authorities, and it is the Red Crescent that provides for the most immediate needs of food and medical care. Immersed in a Muslim world from which they feel looked down upon, they feel the vital need to be supported as Christians. They feel abandoned by the Church, which is why we are there with them. Some of them, with the help of family members residing in America or Canada, were able to obtain from the Turkish government - upon release of 3,000 dollars - permission to leave the camp to settle in one of the cities of the country where they could look for a home and work .

2013 • BEIRUT – LEBANON
We had to leave Syria because of the war, the situation had now worsened. It's hard to figure out exactly what's going on. I don't want to make political speeches, but certainly many militants come from abroad. They are mercenaries, men who are paid to wage war. This is the case in all conflicts. Syria is not excluded. Of course, there is also the people, their unease, their desire for freedom, but everything is very confused. Certainly the conflict is not triggered by interreligious hatred, Syria has always been a multicultural and multireligious country, at least in terms of population. Personally I have always seen collaboration between Christians and Muslims. Our sisters in Aleppo live in a mixed neighborhood where people have always helped and supported each other, as if they were brothers. The problem comes from outside, from those who control the arms market, from those with interests. And unfortunately it is the poor who pay. Those who had friends or relatives abroad have already fled, while others have lost everything under the bombs. The poor people stayed, continue to work, but when they leave the house in the morning, they don't know if and when they will return. And here in Lebanon the situation of Syrian refugees is suffocating for everyone. There is no longer a roof, half a room, nothing that is not occupied by refugees. Many live in tents. They place themselves where they find a space and try to survive. Unfortunately, then there are also realities of exploitation by dishonest Lebanese. It is the drama of all time that joins that of divided families. You see many lonely men who have left wives and children, or many children without mothers, poor souls who ask for charity. There are more than a million refugees, out of four million Lebanese.
In my opinion, the courage of dialogue would be needed now, but one that leads to respect for the other. I don't feel like taking one side or the other: I want to be for peace, on the side of those who believe in the non-proliferation of weapons. Those who are committed to this are today's saints. That's all the key here. Praying for peace, making one's voice heard is very important, it has immense value before God and the world. But we must also live what we pray, we must roll up our sleeves. Despite everything, I know that the Lord does not abandon us. 


By the editors
NP January 2023