Prayers at the Church of the Holy Family
Gaza’s Christian community is going through the most difficult period since the start of the war but remains encouraged by its faith, according to local sources. There is a serious shortage of food and drinking water, a source in Gaza who wished to remain anonymous told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The source said: “People walk for long hours to get a small box of food, which in the end is not even enough for three people.
“In this forced regime, sharing becomes an integral part of daily life and their new Christian identity.”
With the help of ACN (International) and other organizations, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is able to provide two full meals per week and one loaf of bread every other day to every Christian in Gaza.
The source said access to clean water is one of the biggest challenges, explaining: “We have dirty water for toilets and sanitary units, and the water is purified using traditional methods “.
He added that many people have lost weight and diseases are common due to lack of proper sanitation.
He stressed: “Children are suffering from a virus that causes nausea and diarrhea – and some elderly people are facing serious illnesses and would require immediate hospitalization. This is impossible at the moment.”
Last month, ACN reported that of around 1,000 Christians remaining in Gaza, 30 lost their lives due to the conflict – 19 were killed by military action and 11 died due to lack of medical care.
A priest and seven nuns care for 512 Christians – including 120 children and 84 people over 65 – housed at Holy Family Parish, the only Catholic church in Gaza.
Over the past two weeks, the area around the church has suffered intense military clashes and bombings.
The faithful refugees in the parish celebrate Mass daily, pray the Rosary together and receive catechism.
The parish also organizes activities for children and meetings to heal trauma through prayer, with the help of staff from the Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center, which moved to the Holy Family compound after its building was bombed.
The local source said those who took refuge at the church “are all exhausted – no one can really feel what they are going through. With God’s grace, our children are now even closer to their faith than ever before.
“This is a very special Easter. We are closer than ever to the crucified Savior.”
Sister Nabila Saleh of the Sisters of the Rosary – one of the Sisters residing at the Church of the Holy Family – asked for prayers for peace.
She said: “Pray for us, pray for all the people, so that this war can end. »
ACN provided emergency assistance – food vouchers, life-saving medicines, and assistance with housing and school fees – to 3,448 Christians in the Holy Land who lost their livelihoods.
But ACN’s UK office can only contribute to support in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
British government counter-terrorism sanctions prevent ACN (UK) from transferring funds to Gaza, but vital aid is arriving through the charity’s other national offices.
With thanks to Maria Lozano
