The Franciscan Sisters (Missionaries of Mary) have ended their ministry in the city of Aleppo after more than 110 years of attendance, as part of a decision to rearrange the presence of the Order and distribute its cadres in different parts of Syria, the Latin Church said.
The Apostolic Vicar of the Latin Community in Syria, Bishop Hanna Guloff, said that the decision to leave Aleppo dates back more than five years, and is not related to political developments or the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Syria.
In a statement to the "Qad al-Sama" platform, Gullouf explained that the Franciscan nuns have worked over the past years to rearrange their situation in Syria with the aim of "gathering the practical forces" of the monasticism and directing it towards the areas most in need of pastoral and social services at this stage.
Franciscan Sisters to Al-Hasakah and Damascus
Bishop Gloff confirmed that the Franciscan Sisters "Messengers of Mary" have been transferred and redistributed their cadres to serve in the northeastern province of Al-Hasakah, in addition to strengthening their presence in the capital Damascus within the Monastery of Salhiya, in a step aimed at
Hasakah was chosen to establish a new monastery there, allowing nuns to provide direct services to families and local communities in northeastern Syria, while the Salhiya Monastery in Damascus was provided with additional staff to ensure the continuity and expansion of the Latin Church's educational and humanitarian projects within the capital, Gullouf said.
Bishop Gloff stressed that the monastery of nuns in Aleppo has not been closed at all, stressing that the Latin Church has handed over its administration to the Salesian monks who suffer from the narrowness of their old center, in order to ensure the continuation of pastoral and educational activities without interruption within the city.
He explained that this measure comes within the framework of maintaining the church's presence and services in Aleppo, while reorganizing the monastic human resources in line with the growing needs in other parts of the country.
The Salesian monks will follow up on apostolic and social work and youth ministry in the city of Aleppo after an agreement between the Latin friars and the approval of the Holy See in Rome, he said, stressing that the decision to move is "internal within the order and the Latin community".
The redistribution of monasticism aims to enhance presence and service in various Syrian regions, he said, noting that Aleppo includes several working monasteries, while other areas such as al-Hasakah need to strengthen pastoral and service presence.
Don Bosco Society Receives Projects of the Franciscan Sisters
With the departure of the Franciscan Sisters of the Missionaries of Mary to Aleppo, the Don Bosco (Salesian Fathers) took over the entire management of their convent and convent, to ensure that the educational and humanitarian projects established by the nuns continued without interruption.
This organized transition came with the aim of maintaining the presence of the Latin Church in the city, and developing existing institutions through cadres with long experience in educational and pastoral work.
The Salesians take over the management of the monastery's educational complex and primary school, allowing these departments to be combined with their extensive experience in educating children and youth in Aleppo.
The administrative and organizational responsibility of the "Al-Kalima" Institute, one of the most prominent educational edifices that provides language and computer courses at nominal prices to university students and youth, has been transferred to them, ensuring the continuation of its services, which thousands of beneficiaries rely on.
The Salesian took over the management of the Pastoral Centre for Child and Adolescent Care, which attracts hundreds of children each week to provide psychological support, recreational activities and religious education, and continues its vital role in serving the community.
The medical supervision of the monastery's charitable clinic has been transferred to the Latin Archdiocese in cooperation with volunteer medical committees, to ensure the continued provision of free medicine and medicines to the most needy families in the city.
Reactions to the Departure of the Nuns
The departure of the Franciscan nuns from Aleppo sparked a debate on social media about the reasons for the decision, before the Latin Church clarified that it was related to the reorganization of the monastery's presence and services in Syria.
In the context of the reactions, the Arab Evangelical Church in Aleppo considered the departure of the nuns a loss for the city, praising the role played by the order during its 112 years of service in the fields of education, care and social work.
The pastor of the Arab Evangelical Church in Aleppo and president of the National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon, Pastor Ibrahim Abdel Karim Naseer, said the nuns have left a "deep imprint" on generations of Aleppo residents, considering that the departure of the historic mission comes within the challenges facing the Christian presence in Syria.
When was it founded and what is its mission?
The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary is one of the most prominent women's Catholic orders in the world, founded in 1877 in India by French nun Hélène de Chabotin, known ecclesiastically as Mother Mary of the Passion of the Church.
Since its inception, the Order has carried a broad humanitarian message based on the principles of St. Francis of Assisi, based on missionary work in the most vulnerable and needy environments, with a strong focus on social, educational and health service.
The monastic community has a philosophy of full integration into the communities in which it operates, and its global mission includes the management of schools, vocational institutes and literacy centres, as well as charitable clinics, maternity and child centres, care for the elderly and people with special needs, as well as programmes to support refugees and displaced people in war and disaster zones.
The Franciscans' presence in the Middle East extends for more than a century, as they played a pivotal role in the Levant, Egypt, North Africa, and in Syria in particular, their presence was a prominent historical milestone, as they provided the city of Aleppo with educational, health and social services for 112 years, from 1914 until their departure in July 2026, and their monastery remained one of the most important humanitarian support centers during the years of war and the earthquake crisis.