Despite war conditions, Sudan Christians grow closer to God
Father Jacob Thelekkadan remained in Sudan during the civil war to support the Salesian religious sisters in Dar Mariam. The sisters provide shelter and basic aid to the displaced, and despite bombings and extreme shortages, they maintain an atmosphere of faith and serenity.
The civil war in Sudan started in April of 2023. At the time, Father Jacob Thelekkadan, a Salesian priest, was the director of the St. Joseph Vocational Training Center, in Khartoum. He and his colleagues had to leave the training center because of heavy bombing. But while the others left the country, the Indian-born priest decided to stay and support a group of Salesian religious sisters at the Dar Mariam residence, four miles outside of Khartoum. He is one of few priests who stayed in Sudan.
This area has been badly affected by the “tragic and unfortunate war,” which, he says, continues to cause “massive displacement of people, heavy casualties, pitiable and unimaginable destruction, and psychological and physical trauma,” as well as “fear, hunger, thirst, loneliness, and sickness in the hearts and lives of [the Sudanese] people.”
In Dar Mariam, hundreds of residents have taken refuge at the center, where the sisters provide what little food and care they can.
In a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Father Jacob explains that it has become increasingly difficult to obtain fuel for the generator, which is needed for providing electricity and working the water pump. The generator is connected to the water pump for two hours each day, but outside of this, residents must try to survive the merciless heat; the temperature is sometimes higher than 109 degrees. People have to resort to rudimentary techniques of keeping cool, like using wet towels and sprinkling water on the floor.
“Our daily food is porridge made from flour or lentils, or ‘keezra,’ (a kind of pancake) without fruit, vegetables, meat, or eggs,” the priest explains. Everyone is “malnourished and weak,” especially the children.
Being so close to Khartoum, Dar Mariam is often caught in the crossfire of war, and on at least three occasions, bombs have exploded in the building. As reported by ACN, “a bomb exploded in the sisters’ residence, destroying three rooms and other properties,” and wounding “one sister, a volunteer teacher, three children, and their mother,” though none were killed. On November 25th, “another bomb destroyed the classrooms on the first floor, adjacent to the sisters’ residence, [but] causing no injuries,” and January 3rd, another explosion “caused a heavy fire and burned to ashes all the rooms and what was inside on the second floor. Once again, Divine Providence did not allow any harm to anyone in Dar Mariam.” Earlier, on December 10th, a planned evacuation had to be cancelled, after a truce broke down; the sisters and those taking refuge had to stay in the hot zone.
Currently, with the danger of sniper fire and bombs, all residents are confined to the house, except for courageous volunteers who venture out for firewood. And on top of all their suffering, this small community in Sudan feels that the rest of the world has forgotten about them.
Fortunately, many people in Dar Mariam have managed to escape to safer areas. According to Father Jacob, in June 2023, the sisters fed more than 300 people, including Christians and people from other religious groups, but the number had fallen to about 150 by December. Now, approximately 80 people are staying in the center and receiving food assistance.
The terrible situation at Dar Mariam, without any comfort or safety, makes Father Jacob’s closing words even more surprising: “With the experience of the nearness of God to all in Dar Mariam, especially in these months of war, some people, including children and young adults, now feel closer to God! This has brought a serene and peaceful atmosphere! Thus, they participate daily in the morning Eucharist, the rosary service, and the half-hour adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with the recitation of the chaplet to the Divine Mercy in the evening.”
The priest, who remains in regular contact with ACN, conditions permitting, adds that “only two of the 13 parishes in Khartoum celebrate the Mass every Sunday. Dar Mariam, one of the centers of St. Joseph Parish, is one of these two. Thus, though suffering on many accounts, in Dar Mariam, there reigns an atmosphere of peace, joy, contentment, and cheerfulness!
ACN continues to call for peace in Sudan and is prepared to restore the projects in place before the civil war, to help sustain a small but energetic Church.
—Filipe d’Avillez
