Holy Family Church, Gaza

Coordinates: 31°31′26.70060″N 34°27′7.17494″E / 31.5240835000°N 34.4519930389°E / 31.5240835000; 34.4519930389
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Holy Family Church
كنيسة العائلة المقدسة
Holy Family Church
Map
31°31′26.70060″N 34°27′7.17494″E / 31.5240835000°N 34.4519930389°E / 31.5240835000; 34.4519930389
LocationGaza City
CountryPalestine
DenominationCatholic Church (Latin Church)
Administration
ArchdioceseLatin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Clergy
ArchbishopPierbattista Pizzaballa
Pastor(s)Gabriel Romanelli IVE

The Holy Family Church (Arabic: كنيسة العائلة المقدسة) of Gaza City is the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, State of Palestine.[1][2] The parish includes a school which provides a Christian education to children in Gaza, and it works closely with the nearby religious congregations of the Missionaries of Charity, Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará,[3] and the Rosary Sisters.[4] The Missionaries of Charity care for the elderly and disabled,[5] and the Rosary Sisters operate a school.[6] The community is served by priests from the Institute of the Incarnate Word.

Sanctuary and altar of the church

History[edit]

In 1974, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem founded the Holy Family school, which has over 1,200 students. In 2000, the Rosary Sisters founded another school (kindergarten and elementary) which has around 500 students.[when?] The schools provide education to children regardless of religion, and many local Muslims send their children to the schools.[7][8]

From 1995 to 2009, Manuel Musallam, a noted Palestinian peace activist, was parish priest of the Holy Family community.[9] In 2007, the Rosary Sisters' convent was looted and vandalized by unknown perpetrators. When asked about Muslim-Christian relations in Gaza after the attack, Musallam said that relations were excellent, and that Muslims in the community had promised to help repair the damage.[8]

During the 2014 Gaza War, the parish school and the pastor's office were partially destroyed by an Israeli airstrike aimed at a nearby house.[10]

Entrance to the Holy Family compound

In 2021, the Catholic community in the Gaza Strip consisted of 133 people. The Rosary Sisters' school was damaged by an Israeli airstrike during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.[11]

2023 bombardment of Gaza[edit]

See also: Killing of Naheda and Samr Anton

During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, the church, school, and convents have sheltered several hundred refugees,[12] including Christian families whose homes were destroyed.[13][14][15] On 9 October, Pope Francis called the parish priest, Gabriel Romanelli IVE, to offer prayer for the Christian community of Gaza. At the time, Romanelli was stranded in Bethlehem and unable to return to Gaza due to the war.[16] On 16 October, Pope Francis called Yusuf Asaad IVE and Nabila Saleh SSVM, both serving at Holy Family, to offer more support for the faithful of Gaza.[17][18] On 4 November, the Rosary Sisters' school was destroyed when it was targeted by an Israeli air strike.[19][20] As of 1 December, Romanelli, still unable to return to Gaza, reported that 600 people were sheltering in the church. He also thanked Pope Francis and Patriarch Pizzaballa, and said that the pope had called the Holy Family parish daily.[21][22] On 11 December, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reported that the church had been damaged by shrapnel from Israeli airstrikes, which destroyed solar panels, water tanks, and other buildings in the parish complex. ACN also reported that the parish has run out of fuel, cutting off most communication.[23] British-Palestinian MP, Layla Moran, who has family members sheltering there, has stated, "I fear my family under siege by Israeli forces in a church in Gaza will not survive until Christmas, between the snipers and the lack of water."[24] Media outlets have reported that around 650 Palestinian Christians have used the church as a refuge since the start of the war.[25]

On 16 December, Naheda and Samr Anton were killed by gunfire in the church compound. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said: “Nahida and her daughter Samar were shot and killed as they walked to the Sister’s Convent. One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety. Seven more people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others inside the church compound. No warning was given, no notification was provided. They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the Parish, where there are no belligerents.”[26] The Patriarchate said the shooter was "a sniper of the IDF".[27] The incident was widely reported[28][29][30] and condemned by church figures including Pope Francis[31][32] and the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols.[33][34] The Israeli military said it had not targeted the church.[35] Following an investigation, the IDF alleged that Hamas had fired an RPG from the vicinity of church, and that IDF soldiers had fired back and hit Hamas spotters. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a fiery rebuke, stating the woman had been "intentionally targeted" and "killed “in cold blood.”[36]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Patriarch Twal visits parishioners of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza". Abouna.org. 19 December 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Holy Family Parish in Gaza 'small but strong in faith'". Vatican Radio Archive. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Palestine – Servants of the Lord the Virgin of Matará". SSVM. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Une visite à la paroisse de Gaza". Patriarcat latin de Jérusalem (in French). 15 September 2009. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  5. ^ "The strength of the Church in Gaza: living hope in the midst of chaos". Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  6. ^ "The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Visits Rosary's Sisters School in Gaza (Photos)". The Palestine Chronicle. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Gaza Parish - Holy Family Church". Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Gaza priest slams barbaric attack against Sisters of the Rosary". AsiaNews. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Manoel Musallam". Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Bombing near the Catholic parish in Gaza. School devastated". Agenzia Fides. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  11. ^ Sudilovsky, Judith (12 May 2021). "In Gaza, tiny Catholic community tries to stay in touch during airstrikes". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  12. ^ Robbins, Claire Porter (14 October 2023). "Inside Gaza's Last Catholic Parish". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  13. ^ "The state of our parish in Gaza amidst the war". Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  14. ^ Burger, John (12 October 2023). "Gaza Strip Christians taking refuge in only Catholic church". Aleteia. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  15. ^ Villar, Julieta (10 October 2023). "Pastor of only Catholic church in Gaza: 'Never have we seen things like this time'". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  16. ^ Brockhaus, Hannah (10 October 2023). "Pope Francis Calls Gaza Priest as Israel Announces Blockade". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  17. ^ Wooden, Cindy (17 October 2023). "Pope Francis calls nuns and priest in Gaza's only Catholic Church as bombing continues". America. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  18. ^ Ondarza, Paolo; Watkins, Devin (17 October 2023). "Pope Francis calls Catholic faithful of parish in Gaza - Vatican News". Vatican News. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Catholic school in Gaza hit by Israeli air strike". ANSA. 4 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  20. ^ Balog, Amy; Lozano, Maria (9 November 2023). "Gaza: Christian homes and Catholic school among buildings destroyed". Independent Catholic News. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  21. ^ Pinedo, Peter (6 December 2023). "'These are very hard times': Pastor of Gaza Catholic church gives update on Christians' plight". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  22. ^ Crux, Elise Ann Allen (6 December 2023). "Gaza parish priest laments entering Advent amid the tragedy of war". Catholic Herald. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  23. ^ Balog, Amy; Lozano, Maria (11 December 2023). "Gaza Catholic church damaged by airstrike". Aid to the Church in Need. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  24. ^ "British-Palestinian MP fears Gaza family will 'not survive until Christmas'". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  25. ^ London, Reem Fatthelbab ــ (19 December 2023). "Who are the Catholics of Gaza?". www.newarab.com/. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  26. ^ Berger, Miriam; Bellware, Kim (16 December 2023). "IDF kills two women taking shelter at Gaza church, Catholic authorities say". The Washington Post. OCLC 2269358. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  27. ^ Statement by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, 16 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  28. ^ "Israeli Snipers Kill Mother, Daughter Sheltered in Holy Family Church". Palestine Chronicle. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  29. ^ "Two women killed in Israeli attack on Holy Family parish in Gaza - Vatican News". Vatican News. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  30. ^ "Dying, injured Palestinians besieged in Gaza church by Israeli soldiers: Analyst". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  31. ^ McDougall, A. J. (18 December 2023). "Pope Sounds Off After Israeli Sniper Kills 2 at Catholic Church in Gaza". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  32. ^ McCordick, Jack (17 December 2023). ""It is Terrorism": Pope Francis Denounces Killing of Two Christian Women in Gaza". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  33. ^ Birrell, Donna (17 December 2023). "Cardinal Vincent Nichols expresses horror at 'callous' killings in Gaza's Catholic Church compound". Premier Christian Radio. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  34. ^ Sherwood, Harriet (18 December 2023). "Cardinal condemns 'cold–blooded' killing of two women in Gaza church". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  35. ^ "IDF refutes claim it targeted sole Catholic church in Gaza after 2 women said killed". The Times of Israel. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  36. ^ "IDF again denies killing mother and daughter at Gaza church, cites Hamas fire in area". The Times of Israel. 21 December 2023.
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