Sister Rima, 40, from Aleppo, was a member of the Teaching
Sisters of Dorothy-Daughters of the Sacred Hearts.
Together with an
Italian-born fellow sister, she was involved in the local youth mission, running
a female boarding school near Aleppo University. She was killed on 15 January in
a bomb blast that killed 87 people at the university.
Islamic extremists claimed
responsibility for the attack. Her body has not yet been found, but Mgr Mario
Zenari, Vatican nuncio to Damascus, confirmed her death.
The two women were the only Dorothean nuns left in their convent, the
prelate said. Four other nuns had been recalled to Italy for security reasons.
Sister Rima shared the suffering of this war with her fellow sister. Despite
the fear, cold and danger of death, the two visited families in the
neighbourhood, both Christian and Muslim.
They also offered hospitality and
spiritual help to displaced people, especially young female university students.
"The morning of the attack, Sister Rima had meditated over the passage
in which Jesus chased the demons," Mgr Zenari said. "She confessed to God that
she was willing to offer her life if her sacrifice could alleviate the
suffering of the Syrian population. After their prayer, the two nuns went out
for their daily visit to families and the sick, with an arrangement to meet for
lunch at home."
The last person to see Sister Rima alive was the gardener of the nearby
Carmelite convent, which is also not far from the university. He spoke with the
nun who was on her way back from her morning round when a wall of fire hit them.
When he regained consciousness, the wounded gardener saw nothing but rubbles
around him.
A moved Mgr Zenari said Sister Rima's relatives and her fellow nun "visited
all of the city's hospitals, hoping to find her body at least." Sadly, "most
bodies taken from the rubbles are beyond recognition. A DNA test will be
necessary."
Sister Rima is the first Catholic nun to die in the war, the nuncio noted.
"Unfortunately, she is one of the many lives broken by the bloodbath that is
devastating the life of Syrians of every religion, ethnicity or political
affiliation."
"The situation is tragic," he added. "If you do not die under the
rubbles caused by the shelling or in shootouts, life is difficult. In Aleppo,
as in other cities of Syria, everything is in shortage: power, gas, food,
drugs. People are cutting down trees in the public gardens to keep warm."
"On the day of the university attack, 120 other people died in shootouts,
shelling, and summary executions in other Syrian provinces. The final tally for
that day was 216 dead."
These numbers have become part of daily life and the media are no longer
surprised by them. However, behind each murdered victim, there are stories of
suffering and sorrow that should not be forgotten."