优素福神父：摩苏尔难民的贫穷圣诞, 请伸手援助
阿马迪耶（亚洲新闻） - 他们需要粮食、药品、御寒衣服，以及房屋和学校：这是3,500个难民家庭的写照, 他们从摩苏尔和尼尼微平原逃亡到阿马迪耶教区，位于伊拉克的库尔德斯坦, 他们得到堂区司铎萨米尔神父(Samir)的照顾。
以下的圣诞信函, 是萨马尔神父发送到《亚洲新闻》，他感谢本社读者和朋友们, 透过“助养摩苏尔基督徒”运动, 他们得到帮助，现在, 他列出一些“圣诞礼物”，是当地难民的需要：给老人的床, 好使长者不用睡在地上; 小额贷款让难民开办小企业; 房屋; 以及为无法上学的孩子提供交通工具。
不过, 萨米尔神父也谈到天主圣意的点点标记, 每一天都会从那些身上没有的难民体验得到, 他们逃离迫害流落异乡。
亲爱的朋友们，我们真诚地希望他的呼吁不会置若罔闻，而我们大家都可以成为天主圣意的点点标记。捐款予助养"摩苏尔基督徒"运动 。我们原本打算结束这运动，但伊拉克的兄弟姊妹们仍然需要我们的帮助。（BC）
Dear Father Bernardo Cervellera,
First of all let me begin by thanking you and, through you, all the readers and friends of AsiaNews for the help that you sent to the refugees in November. We have distributed small amounts of money (cash) among the many Christian and yazide families. We are preparing to spend this Christmas season not only materially but also spiritually, with times of prayer, the Rosary, catechism.
The recent visit by the Secretary General of the CEI (Italian Episcopal Conference), Msgr. Nunzio Galantino was an occasion of great joy for all of us. He opened the Holy Door of Mercy in my parish as a sign of sisterhood with the Italian Catholic Church, because the Holy Door, as Pope Francis says, not only opens in cathedrals, but also in smaller churches.
However, winter has come. We have started to distribute kerosene for heating, clothes and other items to refugees not only to heat their homes or their containers, but also their hearts and hopefully to help them feel that the Lord Jesus is with them and He loves them.
There are so many refugees: we would like to help them all (the elderly, the sick, children) and give them clothes, kerosene, food and medicine, but unfortunately our resources are very limited. Being powerless to help everyone is truly a terrible feeling. We would like to buy gifts such as shoes, socks, toys for the more than 350 Yazidi and Christian children that we host in my parishes and their families, and to distribute them for Christmas.
The reality is that after more than a year, many families have lost hope of returning to their homes. This has forced us to start helping them make arrangements for their life here, and the local Chaldean Church is working to find homes for them, and restore old houses or build small houses, so they can start over again.
We are also trying to start small projects to create jobs. Many of these people have no work and we have found that one of the greatest sources of despair is having nothing to do all day every day. For example, we helped one couple to build an oven for baking bread. And we want to help three more to open a convenience store, and also open a barbershop.
Among our Christmas activities we chose 10 women to make sweets (3000 kg!) And we distribute them to the refugee families paying each woman almost $ 350.
Then there is the schooling and transport to school for 820 Yazidis, Christians, and Muslims students. This project was made possible thanks to the help of European churches. Unfortunately we have not been able to find a place at a school for more than 200 children, because the schools are full, despite having up to four school shifts, or because there is no more space on school transport.
We are preparing a party for all the young people, who spend most of their time locked in their containers or in their homes, where two or three families live together. There are many elderly people who sleep on the floor and so we are hoping to purchase beds for them. But in order to do this we rely increasingly on the charity of the Church and people of good will.
ln this year dedicated to mercy, let us be like the Lord's Prayer, let us open our hearts to those who disagree with us.
The Lord gives us many graces not because we are worthy, but because we need them. I tell the truth when I say that our life is not easy, but every day we can see how the Divine operates among us and something good always happens. These then, are the best days, those of our Lord who comes with His mercy, to revitalize our lives and live in our heart. Even if we are not worthy, we need your love, and for this we pray in Aramaic "Maranatha", "Come, Lord Jesus." We are sinners: Come with your mercy. May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.
Father Samir Yousseff
December 23, 2015
Parish Priest,
Diocese of Zakho and Amadiya
