Sudan: Sniper sparks a fire at Dar Mariam Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) house in Khartoum

On April 30, 2023 Archbishop Michael Didi Adgum Mangoria of Khartoum confirmed that "many people, including priests and nuns, have fled the most contested areas" of Sudan since April 15. Read more.

Report from ANS 
Dated 04 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Sudan – Sniper sparks a fire at the FMA house in Karthoum

(ANS – Karthoum) – The Dar Mariam house of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) in Karthoum, Sudan, was again affected by the war. In the early afternoon of Tuesday, 2 January, at around 2 pm, a sniper from one of the rebel groups involved in the war set fire to the second floor of the house. The rooms and the hall on the affected side of the floor were badly damaged. But the great help offered by the neighbours and some soldiers made it possible to put out the fire in two hours.

“No one was injured in the accident! Thank God! And may his will and his glory always prevail!" Fr Jacob Thelekkadan, an Indian Salesian missionary in the country, who has been living in the Dar Mariam house of the FMA since shortly after the outbreak of the war, commented on the matter.

Although largely forgotten by the outside world, the war in Sudan continues, involving several paramilitary factions in addition to the national army, and has already reached the 265th day of fighting, death, and destruction. With official data at a standstill last October, there are still about 10,000 victims and almost 12,000 injured, while according to information released by the United Nations International Office for Migration at the end of 2023, the conflict had caused almost 6 million internally displaced people and over 1.5 million refugees in other countries.

The Dar Mariam house of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians – which in addition to the Sisters and Fr Jacob also houses several mothers and children and a group of men, some of them elderly and sick – had already been affected by the war not even two months before this last episode: on the morning of 3 November 2023, in fact, it had been hit by a large bomb. Also in that case, serious damage resulted for several classrooms and structures of the work, but providentially only a few minor injuries.

View original: https://www.infoans.org/en/

h/t with thanks to Sudan Tribune - January 23, 2024 

Sudan: Salesian sisters’ home damaged in ongoing war

https://sudantribune.com/article281617/

ENDS

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Related

Sudan Watch - January 20, 2024 

Sudan: Christian man killed by RSF militia. 

Baraka Parish church at Hajj Yusuf near Khartoum set on fire 

- Christian Buildings Targeted in Military Conflict in Sudan

- Sudan: Unidentified arsonists raze the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Wad Madani, Aj Jazirah State

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/01/sudan-christian-man-killed-by-rsf.html

Sudan Watch - November 13, 2023

Missile hits Salesian Sisters' house in Khartoum Sudan

Damage at Dar Mariam Mission in Khartoum (© ACN).

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/11/missile-hits-salesian-sisters-house-in.html

Sudan Watch - July 04, 2023

Sudan: Salesian Sisters care for wounded & displaced

Over the years, a strong community of international Catholic sisters and other religious has been active in Sudan. According to Roszkowska, there have been many Catholic sisters from as far as India, El Salvador, Vietnam, South Sudan and Poland.

However, after the latest war erupted in April, only four Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco remain in Sudan. Global Sisters Report recently reported on Sr. Angelina Ebrahim Trilly Koko of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd saying that her congregation had already shut down several schools and hospitals serving thousands of residents and stopped pastoral work. 

On April 30, Archbishop Michael Didi Adgum Mangoria of Khartoum confirmed that "many people, including priests and nuns, have fled the most contested areas" of Sudan since April 15.

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/06/sudan-salesian-sisters-care-for-wounded.html

ENDS

Missile hits Salesian Sisters' house in Khartoum Sudan

Report at Independent Catholic News - Source: ACN

By John Newton and Filipe d'Avillez
Dated Monday, 6 November 2023 - here is a full copy:

Sudan: Missile hits Salesian Sisters' house 

Damage at Dar Mariam Mission in Khartoum (© ACN).

A bomb has caused major damage to the Salesian Sisters' mission centre in Sudan. Dar Mariam Mission in Khartoum - which houses five religious Sisters, a priest and lay people who sought refuge there - was hit at 6.50am last Friday (3rd November).

Fr Jacob Thelekkadan, the resident priest, said that the bomb hit the building's first floor, and those in the house at the time thought it was a miracle that no one was killed. Casualties were minimised as the women and children staying there were all gathered on the ground floor at the time.

Fr Thelekkadan said: "We cannot imagine the harm that these explosions would have caused if it landed on the ground floor."

Some residents suffered slight injuries. One young mother and her two children, aged seven and four, received minor head wounds.

The first floor, which sustained most of the damage, houses most of the bedrooms.

Fr Thelekkadan told ACN that the bomb broke into two when it hit the building, causing two explosions. The priest said: "The first part of the bomb shattered the teacher's room, hurting him on both his legs, but not very seriously.

"The second part of the bomb shattered the two rooms of the Sisters and their room doors flew off and fell a metre away. Two of the Salesian Sisters were in one room and the room door and toilet door fell on them. One of them was injured in the back, though not seriously. The doors probably saved her from the heavy shrapnel of the bomb."

He added: "The bomb then tore through the brick wall of the toilet, making a large hole, and then through the brick wall of the room of two other Sisters who were already in the ground-floor chapel."

All those injured in the blasts were taken to hospital, but have already been discharged.

Fr Thelekkadan said a painting of Our Lady was destroyed, adding "We are certain that Our Blessed Mother wanted to sacrifice herself for all of us. Thus, the beautiful portrait of Our Blessed Mother shattered into pieces. I want to reiterate the continuous provident care of God on all in Dar Mariam. The maternal protection of Our Blessed Mother reigns in Dar Mariam."

Fr Thelekkadan was in charge of St Joseph's Vocational Centre in Khartoum, which closed because of heavy fighting. He stayed in Sudan to support the Salesian sisters who are looking after not only women and children, but also the elderly and infirm at the Dar Mariam Mission.

He said: "Continue to pray that this senseless and tragic war will come to an end and that God may grant the gift of lasting peace to the Sudan."

Estimates vary, but according to the UN special envoy for Sudan, Volker Perthes, at least 5,000 people have been killed, and over 12,000 wounded since the conflict started in April.

View original: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/48424

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