Gaza City: Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, has made an emotional appeal for prayers as the humanitarian and security crisis in the region worsens. Speaking to L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s newspaper, Fr. Romanelli described the harrowing aftermath of an Israeli military strike that left three people dead and at least fifteen injured, including himself.
He recalled with sorrow the events of the explosion that struck the front of the Holy Family Church just two days earlier. “The blast tore through the entrance of our church,” he said, “where a nearly two-meter-tall cross stands. Shrapnel and debris rained down, hitting two elderly women sheltering in a tent beneath the church. They died on the spot.” Another parishioner, the church doorman Saad, was also killed in the attack.
Fr. Romanelli himself suffered minor injuries to his leg and side. However, two parishioners remain in serious condition. Najeeb, who sustained a punctured lung, is currently being treated at the Anglican hospital. Another, Suhail, a young Catholic postulant known for his dedication to the Church, also underwent surgery and now faces a long recovery. “He had hoped to enter the seminary two years ago,” Fr. Romanelli said, “but war prevented his departure. He has since served the parish with extraordinary devotion.”
Despite the devastation, Fr. Romanelli expressed profound gratitude for the solidarity shown by the global Church. He said he was comforted by a personal call from Pope Francis and a visit from Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, accompanied by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. “In the midst of tragedy, we have felt the warmth of the Church’s love, prayers, and support from people of goodwill around the world,” he said.
He described the overall situation in Gaza as “increasingly dire,” emphasizing that suffering continues unabated. “We continue to pray for peace,” he implored, “and to persuade the world that this war helps no one—not Palestine, not Israel. We’ve lost so much already.”
Fr. Romanelli concluded with a message of forgiveness and hope, recounting the prayer said during a funeral Mass for the victims: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He called on all people of faith and conscience to work toward ending the war and beginning the long process of rebuilding peace and reconciliation. “Please continue to pray for us,” he said, “and help convince the world that peace is the only way forward.”