Church in Gaza Reaching Out to Displaced Persons, Christians Under Siege amid Violence

The Church of the Holy Family for the Latins welcomes refugees fleeing from war. Image source: The Parish of the Holy Family for the Latins in Gaza.

Antoun explained that the number of Christian refugees to the Latin Monastery to date is estimated to be around 500 people, in addition to others residing in the Church of Saint Porphyrius for Greek Orthodox. 

Antoun talked about what the church is providing for the displaced families, stating: “We opened the halls and rooms in the church and school. We supplied the displaced with mattresses, pillows, and covers. We also provide them water, food, and personal hygiene items.”

Shortage of water, food, and medicine

Antoun went on to point out several difficulties the church is facing, saying, “We suffer from power outages, with difficulty securing diesel for the power generator, in addition to difficulty in bathing, as water is almost cut off and the number of people we have is large.”

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The Church of the Holy Family for the Latins welcomes refugees fleeing from war. Image source: The Parish of the Holy Family for the Latins in Gaza.

“Also, the mattresses are not enough for everyone to sleep. Additionally, we have a problem related to food supplies, as it is not easy to find them, especially bread. Currently, only four bakeries are operating in Gaza, and some medicines have become missing from pharmacies,” Antoun told ACI MENA.

The prayers continue

Antoun further said, “The city of Gaza has been completely destroyed. However, no Christian has been martyred to this hour. The church is also unharmed and has not been subjected to any damage, but no one knows what will happen in the coming days.”

The Church of the Holy Family for the Latins welcomes refugees fleeing from war. Image source: The Parish of the Holy Family for the Latins in Gaza.

It's worth noting that despite the siege and the harshness of war, the church continues to open its doors to worshippers daily, fulfilling its spiritual duties towards the people of God. 

Amid the images of sorrow and death, the church witnessed joy and a new spiritual birth last Sunday (October 15) during the baptism of baby Daniel Alaa Shaheen. 

In the evenings, believers recite prayers by candlelight due to the power outages.