CV NEWS FEED // Holy Family Parish, the only Catholic parish in Gaza, was damaged by shrapnel from strikes by Israel’s army on nearby buildings and has since been notified that there is an unexploded rocket near the parish.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed the damage to the international Catholic charity organization, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The shrapnel damaged water tanks and solar panels of the Church and parish buildings in Gaza City.
Christians make up only 0.05% of the majority-Muslim region according to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem website. ACN reported in November that the parish was caring for 750 displaced Christians.
“The parish complex has run out of fuel, depriving the community of electricity and stable communications. As one local resident told us, ‘Only a miracle prevented a big catastrophe from happening to us,’” ACN stated in a press release, continuing:
And we were just informed today, December 12th, that there is an unexploded rocket on the perimeter of where the parish is located. In an atmosphere of high anxiety and fear, the level of trauma has just been elevated, especially for children.
The parish was built in 1974 and includes a school, the parish priest’s house, and the Church itself, as well as two communities of religious sisters.
“We continue to keep in constant contact with Sister Nabila and the Holy Family Church, as technology allows, and our donors continue aiding thousands of Christians in the Holy Land with meals, food coupons, rent payments or utilities bills, and medical supplies,” ACN noted.
Sister Nabila Saleh, a sister of the Holy Rosary, was the principal of a Christian school that was destroyed in November of this year. She now resides at the Holy Family Church, and often communicates with Pope Francis, who frequently calls the parish.
Founded in 1947, Aid to the Church in Need helps counter Christian persecution across the world such as killings by Islamic extremists. The organization also supports displaced Christians, and sends aid after natural disasters.