Franciscan schools reopen in Syria after 60 years

Franciscan schools in the Christian villages of Al-Quniya and Yacoubieh reopened on September 19, 2026, after being closed for nearly 60 years. Located in the Idlib Governorate, the schools were previously shut down by the Assad regime because they refused to adopt the government's mandated educational methods.

The facilities will initially host 80 Christian students, though organizers plan to welcome students of other faiths in upcoming school years. The buildings had sustained damage in December 2024 during fighting between rebel and government forces.

Bishop Hanna Jallouf, the Latin Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo, attended the inauguration alongside the Custodian of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, and the Apostolic Nuncio to Syria, Bishop Luigi Roberto Cona. Civil officials from the Syrian transitional emergency government also attended, including Raed Al-Saleh, Hind Kabawat, the minister of social affairs and labor, and Idlib Governor Muhammad Abdul Rahman.