By Catholic News ServiceDale Gavlak
Working with displaced Iraqi Christians has stretched and strengthened the faith of a priest who came to Jordan as a refugee.
Father Khalil Jaar said the Iraqi Christians, who escaped the Islamic
State invasion for initial sanctuary in Jordan until they find a
permanent home, have become like family for him, with some even living
on the compound of his parish, Our Lady Mother of the Church, in this
crowded suburb of the Jordanian capital, Amman.
“I told Pope Francis that I am a privileged priest because, for me,
these refugees are the saints of the 21st century,” Father Jaar recently
told Catholic News Service. “His secretary said the pope was very
touched by this and has started to use this same terminology: ‘the
living saints of the 21st century.'”
Some Iraqi Christians helped by Father Jaar told him that despite
gains by the U.S.-led coalition pushing Islamic States militants from
their villages and Mosul, they cannot think of returning home and are
tired of repeatedly rebuilding their lives.
“They went from Baghdad to Alqosh and other places inside Iraq they
thought were safe. Then they were forced to escape to Irbil and from
there to Jordan,” he said.
Now, as they are asked to return to Iraq, the priest said: “They have
lost all hope of cooperating with their people. They are looking for a
new life, both for themselves and their children.”
Two-and-a-half years ago, concerned for the refugee children’s future
and education, Father Jaar set up a school with a recognized curriculum
on the church compound. It currently educates more than 200 refugee
pupils, providing a meal, uniforms, books as well as food coupons to
families who have used up the last of their funds as their displacement
drags on. Christian formation and English language instruction are
provided. A number of the teachers and other staff are Iraqi Christian
refugees.
But the loss of a major donor due to unforeseen circumstances
recently put the future of the school in jeopardy. The school requires
about $25,000 to 30,000 per month to operate.
“We are looking to the Lord for help. I trust him. Some weeks ago, I
discussed the possibility of having to close the school with its
principle, Sana’a Bekki. I told her please give me two days to pray,”
Father Jaar said. “Then we received a short email from a friend saying:
‘Father, go ahead for this month, I will provide for January.'”
“The Lord sent us the exact amount of money needed to protect this
school for this month and not a penny extra. He wants us to keep our
faith in providence,” the priest said, acknowledging that his faith,
too, is being stretched and strengthened serving the refugees.
Father Jaar said the refugees’ devotion to their Christian faith has transformed his life and challenged his own spiritual walk.
An Iraqi Christian family that fled the Islamic State in Mosul shares
a space cordoned off with curtains with other like families on an upper
floor of the compound. Two of the older daughters help with the
school’s administration, while the younger children attend the school.
“We have clung to our Christian faith despite all the hardships we
have suffered since escaping from Mosul,” Um Rita told CNS, using her
Arabic familial name, which means Rita’s mother.
“At the time of escape, the militants stopped us, abducted, and held
my husband for several hours. They ransacked the car, searching through
suitcases, even my purse. But miraculously they never spotted my rosary,
and it never fell out of my handbag,” she said, displaying the delicate
crystal beads with silver cross.
“I prayed fervently the entire time he (husband) was gone and he
returned safely to us,” Um Rita said. “I don’t know how on earth he came
out. It’s God! He came through for us in a remarkable, miraculous way.
The Lord keeps protecting every one of us.”
“Our faith has increased because we saw the Lord standing with us,”
her husband said, adding that the family hopes to resettle in Australia,
given the chance.
Father Jaar said he often says of the Iraqi refugees, “Happy is the
country which will receive these people because they are very well
qualified and educated.”
“We hope that U.S. President-elect (Donald)Trump will give some new
hope for these Christians, because really they are suffering too much,
especially when they feel forgotten and persecuted,” the priest said in
reference to the preference given by the U.S. and other countries to
resettle Syrian refugees rather than Iraqi Christians.
Recognizing Father Jaar’s work, Pope Francis has commissioned him to
travel to other countries to share stories of the plight of Christians
caught in the crosshairs of Mideast conflicts and Islamist extremists
with a call to stand beside the Christians and provide help in their
hour of need.
A priest of Palestinian origin, Father Jaar said he and his family, too, were once refugees from Bethlehem.
The priest recounted a recent visit by the apostolic administrator of
the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista
Pizzaballa, who encouraged him to give his all to the refugees, despite
the challenges.
The archbishop “spent two hours with us,” said Father Jaar. “He told
me, ‘Father carry on. This is the work of the church.’ And that’s
exactly why we do what we do and go ahead.“
