10 years ago, it was the war in Syria and Frans van der Lugt was killed in our old convent of Homs. A decade later, there are still a lot of traces both of the war and of Frans’ death. In the city, the impact of war is everywhere: a lot of buildings are unoccupied because residents has left (and continue to leave to avoid the crisis), entire parts of the city are only ruins, the old market nearby is still empty. But the traces of Frans’ death are the flowers on his tomb in our garden, the young people having a lot of activities in a place he founded, the groups doing hikes in the countryside like he did, the Jesuits being even more in Homs than before the war… and it was therefore so natural for more than 700 people to gather to celebrate joyfully this anniversary.

Leaders of the Churches in Homs, catholic and orthodox bishops and protestants pastors, Ignatian sisters, CLC-CVX, young people and Jesuits… we were in this occasion Frans’ family and we tried to share a simplicity Frans would have loved. The liturgy was solemn but normal, the lunch was home-made for all of us by an army of women, the alter service was a mix between younger and older people, Jesuits and people with special needs, two choirs merge for the occasion… The bishop took firmly the prayers for the martyrs, and indeed Frans death is a seed for the Church in Homs and could help us to maintain hope in Syria where 13 years of conflicts have exhausted all the energies.