Holy Family Church in Gaza by Dan Palraz / Wikimedia Commons
The small Christian community in Gaza that is providing shelter, counseling, and education to those suffering from the Israel-Hamas conflict is also sharing hope, the president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) Pontifical Mission said in a recent emailed press release.
Pope Pius XI founded CNEWA in 1926, according to the association’s website. In the release, CNEWA President Monsignor Peter I. Vaccari described the work being carried out by the Holy Family Parish — the only Catholic parish in Gaza — and the Orthodox parish of St. Porphyrios as “a glimmer of hope.”
“Gaza’s tiny Christian community continues to offer counseling and psychosocial support and runs makeshift schools. For children, small-scale activities offer a brief respite from the ongoing trauma, although these efforts are constrained by the severe shortage of resources and the constant barrage of bombs,” Msgr. Vaccari said. “The brave servant leaders running these initiatives do so despite overwhelming danger, severe logistical challenges and Israel’s humanitarian aid blockade.”
Reuters reported in late May that Israel began letting some aid trucks into Gaza with food and medical equipment. Israel enacted the blockade in March, “saying Hamas was seizing supplies meant for civilians — a charge the group denies,” according to Reuters.
According to Msgr. Vaccari, 96% of families in Gaza are suffering from “famine-like conditions,” surviving on less than one meal a day per person. He also reported that hundreds of people are seeking shelter at Holy Family’s compound and St. Porphyrios is providing shelter for about 150 families. Additionally, diseases are widespread because formal health care has collapsed, and about 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million population are homeless and displaced, he said.
“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels,” he wrote.
CNEWA-Pontifical Mission has received requests from partnering organizations in Gaza to provide food, health care, and psychological support, according to Msgr. Vaccari. Since January, it has been partnering with the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza to provide urgent care. The mission has been distributing fresh vegetables to people at the churches and elsewhere.
Pope Leo XIV has consistently called for a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages, and application of humanitarian law.
The Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin recently reiterated those calls.
“What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable. International humanitarian law must always apply, and apply to everyone,” Cardinal Parolin told Vatican News in a May 27 article. “We call for an end to the bombardments and for the necessary aid to reach the population: I believe the international community must do everything possible to bring this tragedy to an end.”
Cardinal Parolin continued, “At the same time, we strongly reiterate the demand that Hamas immediately release all the hostages it still holds and return the bodies of those who were killed after the barbaric attack of 7 October 2023 against Israel.”
