Daniel del Castillo González
Five people, including two members of Gaza’s only Catholic parish, were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building on the night of October 3.
In response, Pope Leo XIV has sent a message to the priest who has spent the last three years with Gaza’s Christian community.
GABRIEL ROMANELLI
Pastor, Holy Family Parish in Gaza
I received a message. Actually, it came during the celebration, but I saw it afterward. It was from the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. It’s a short message, a beautiful message, which I would like to read as an introduction to today’s update.
Good morning, Father Gabriel. Since I received the painful news that Maisa and Mary had died, I have been praying to God for them, for their families, and for the entire community in Gaza. How long, Lord?
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, stating it had targeted a command center or a leader of the terrorist group Hamas in the area.
GABRIEL ROMANELLI
Pastor, Holy Family Parish in Gaza
There is no safety in the streets. There is no safety anywhere. The events have shown that churches are not safe either. We have had 62 people killed. 62 Christians, Catholics and Orthodox who have died in this war.
flash
And most of them... They died where they had sought refuge, here at Holy Family Church, on two occasions.
The Holy Family Parish itself was attacked in 2025, when a missile fired from a tank hit the church, killing three people and wounding the parish priest.
Pope Leo XIV has reached out to the parish before, offering his closeness on other occasions.
Pope Francis, too, spoke with Gabriel Romanelli almost every night starting in October 2023. In those first months, more than 600 people came to the church seeking refuge.
