Simon Srugi

In 1894, Simon Srugi was sent to the agricultural school and orphanage of Beit Gemal (Betgamāl / Caphargamala), located in the Shephelah region. It was there that he completed his novitiate and took his vows as a coadjutor brother (Salesian lay religious). He would spend his entire religious life—nearly fifty years—within this single house, giving of himself without measure to the local populations. At Beit Gemal, Simon Srugi assumed multiple responsibilities in the service of the educational community and the inhabitants of the region: Teacher and catechist: He instructed the children of the orphanage, among whom were many young Muslims. The latter respectfully called him "Mu'allem Srugi" (Master Srugi) and said of him that he was "as good as a cup of honey." Miller and manager: He was in charge of managing the grain mill and the olive press of the agricultural property. Farmers from more than fifty surrounding villages came there to have their wheat ground. Simon conducted this activity with a justice, honesty, and serenity that earned him the absolute trust of all. He regularly intervened as a mediator and peacemaker during the violent disputes that sometimes broke out in the mill's courtyard. Nurse and "Good Samaritan": In the absence of a doctor in this isolated region, Simon Srugi took charge of the Beit Gemal dispensary. Assisted by Sister Tersilla Ferrero (FMA) and by the Salesian cooperator Dikran Ciakmakgiàn, he treated dozens of patients daily suffering from malaria, dysentery, or various infections. The clinic's registers, meticulously kept by Simon between 1932 and 1942, bear witness to more than 30,000 consultations for patients from over 70 villages. His gentleness and devotion to the poorest, without distinction of religion, left a deep impression. The local Muslim populations held him in immense veneration, affirming that "his hands have the power and the goodness of Allah" and repeating this famous formula: "After Allah, there is Srugi."

Simon Srugi's daily life was entirely united with God. Despite a naturally lively temperament, he strove to master his impulses to ensure that gentleness and patience reigned around him. He drew his strength from personal prayer and prolonged adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, spending all his free time before the tabernacle. His charity was expressed heroically through forgiveness. He forgave without bitterness those who falsely accused him of having caused the death of a patient suffering from gangrene, treated with the same delicacy a group of young aggressors who had attacked him at the dispensary, and even went so far as to provide medical care to one of the alleged assassins of his own director, Father Mario Rosin. In 1908, during a canonical visit to Beit Gemal, Blessed Michael Rua, the first successor of Don Bosco, was struck by the spiritual depth of the coadjutor brother and declared to the confreres: "Follow him closely, note his words and his deeds, for he is a saint." Worn out by incessant work and suffering himself from malaria, Simon Srugi passed away holily on November 27, 1943, in Beit Gemal, at the age of 66. His funeral drew an immense gathering of Christians, Jews, and Muslims who came to pay him a final tribute. His remains rest in Beit Gemal, near the historical tomb attributed to Saint Stephen.

The cause for the beatification of Simon Srugi was officially introduced on November 5, 1964. The diocesan and apostolic processes took place successively from 1964 to 1966, and then from 1981 to 1983. On April 2, 1993, Pope John Paul II authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to publish the decree on the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable. Historical note on date transcriptions: The Salesian historian Giovanni Caputa, in his reference biography, notes that the official Vatican publication (Acta Apostolicae Sedis, AAS 85, 1993) contains two material errors concerning the Venerable: it erroneously mentions April 27, 1877, as the date of birth (instead of April 15) and September 27, 1943, as the date of death (instead of November 27). Likewise, other Salesian biographical notices sometimes mention June 27, 1877, as the date of birth.

The Venerable Simon Srugi is today proposed as an eminent model of the Salesian coadjutor brother vocation. His spirituality achieves a harmonious synthesis between the Byzantine contemplative tradition of his Eastern origins and the Latin active pastoral care inherited from Don Bosco. He embodied what Salesian theology calls the "sacrament of presence," that is to say, silent but effective evangelization through simple loving presence, daily work, and selfless service to the most destitute. His legacy remains alive in the Holy Land as a symbol of reconciliation and interreligious dialogue through works. In November 2021, Bethlehem University launched an interdisciplinary study project (medical, sociological, and cultural) on the registers of his dispensary, highlighting the historical impact of his health work under the British Mandate. On an international scale, the Salesian Congregation has given his name to several training works, notably the Salesian novitiate in Sunyani, Ghana.