By Marinella Bandini
Jerusalem, Dec 22, 2024 / 06:00 am
As Christmas approaches, the Latin Church of the Holy Family in Gaza is alive with activity.
“In these dark days, we wanted to offer a sign of hope, especially for our children. That’s why, together with the kids, we prepared the Nativity scene and the Christmas tree,” Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, wrote in a recent Facebook post.
In an interview with CNA, Romanelli reflected on the unique challenges of celebrating Christmas in Gaza — a blend of pain and joy, fear and hope, and the longing for a truce that now seems closer than ever.
“The situation is dire,” he said. “Humanly speaking, this is a place of death, where hope seems to have no place. The vast majority of the population lacks everything: food, water, medicine, electricity, shelter, beds, chairs, glasses, books, notebooks, toilet paper, soap… everything.”
Gaza’s small Christian community, numbering about 500, remains sheltered in the Latin Parish of the Holy Family. While resources are scarce, what little is available is thanks to the ongoing support of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Order of Malta, and numerous benefactors and is shared generously with others in need.
“When I ask the children what they want for Christmas, they answer ‘peace, an end to the war, to go back home, to return to school, and to see their friends,’” Romanelli said. “What we need most is peace — so the injured can be treated, schools can reopen, people can walk freely and see the sea, and we can begin to think about rebuilding.
Amidst the darkness of war, the Catholic community in Gaza continues to shine the light of hope. Father Gabriel Romanelli, along with the priests of the Latin Parish of the Holy Family, strives to keep the flame of faith burning in the midst of turmoil.
“There is so much darkness,” Romanelli said. “But instead of cursing the darkness, we try to shine a light — the light of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, who, along with St. Joseph, walked these very lands 2,000 years ago as they fled to Egypt. In Jesus’ name, we continue to go out into the deep — ‘duc in altum’ — and cast our nets, so that his grace may reach everyone.”
Despite the challenging circumstances, the parish comes together daily for Eucharistic adoration, praying the rosary, celebrating Mass, and caring for children and individuals with disabilities seeking refuge within the church.
For Christmas, Romanelli ensured that the Nativity scene and Christmas tree were displayed once again. “Jesus will be born in Gaza too — he will come to the altar and into our hearts,” he proclaimed. The children joyfully decorated the Christmas tree, offering prayers for peace. Romanelli conducted a lesson on the significance of the Nativity scene and the Christmas tree, emphasizing the themes of light, forgiveness, and joy that Christ brings into their lives.
