Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza who was wounded in a recent strike on the church in an exclusive interview with EWTN
Newsroom (25/07/2025, Gaudium Press )“Thanks be to God more people weren’t harmed,” said Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Church, Gaza’s sole Catholic parish, in an exclusive Spanish-language interview with EWTN Noticias on July 24. The interview followed a July 17 bombing that struck the church, killing three and wounding 15, including Romanelli himself.
The attack, which Israeli officials described as accidental, marked the first direct hit on the church since the onset of the war in December 2023, though the parish grounds had been struck earlier. “It was a shocking experience,” Romanelli said. “That iconic cross you’ve seen — about 2 meters [6.5 feet] tall — was heavily damaged. Shrapnel flew in all directions.”
Romanelli, who sustained a leg injury now complicated by a minor infection, reported that only two of the 15 injured are no longer in life-threatening condition: one with a punctured leg and another with internal organ damage. “The area is quite small, and while we hear bombings daily and metal fragments often fall, there hadn’t been such a severe incident since the war began,” he said. “The recent strike has left a deep mark.”
Life Amid Chaos at Holy Family Parish
In the 17 days leading up to the bombing, Romanelli described an atmosphere of “intense military activity and heavy bombardment.” Despite this, the parish’s roughly 500 residents — mostly Christian refugees, along with a few terminally ill or disabled Muslims cared for by the Missionaries of Charity — strive to maintain a semblance of normalcy.
Each day begins at 7 a.m. with silent adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. “The children and youth participate in their own way — writing prayers or meditating,” Romanelli said. “It’s a miracle they are able to pray for peace amid the chaos.” Morning prayers in Arabic and a Eucharistic blessing follow.
The parish, which includes two homes run by the Missionaries of Charity, residences for priests and sisters of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, a kindergarten, an oratory, and schools, has converted classrooms into living spaces. With Gaza’s scorching heat exceeding 100°F, no running water, and limited sanitation, keeping children indoors — with 10-12 people per room — is “nearly impossible,” Romanelli said.
Escalating violence has forced the suspension of activities like games, youth meetings, and educational programs. “Shrapnel was falling so frequently that we couldn’t risk anyone being in the central courtyard,” the priest explained. Nighttime soccer and basketball games, once a staple, have also ceased.
The parish cooks for all residents twice weekly, relying on solar panels and ongoing water purification efforts amid widespread food shortages. Religious formation continues modestly, with occasional showings of films like the life of St. Rafqa, a Lebanese saint, when power allows.
Asked about the possibility of closure, Romanelli was resolute: “Where would we go? The Christians here continue to say: ‘We’ll stay with Jesus.’ No one has considered leaving. They’ve known from the start there is nowhere else to go. Danger is everywhere, not just in designated ‘danger zones.’”
A Lifeline for Gaza’s Needy
Catholic agencies, including Caritas Jerusalem, have been a critical source of aid. Holy Family Parish operates two makeshift clinics, part of a network of 10 Catholic-run clinics across Gaza — one permanent, nine mobile. However, a severe lack of supplies limits their capacity. “There is dire need, particularly for food and medicine,” Romanelli said.
Since the ceasefire five months ago, almost no aid has reached northern Gaza, where most of the region’s Christians reside. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzabella, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, recently entered Gaza City but was unable to distribute aid. “He’s doing all he can to bring relief,” Romanelli noted.
“We implore and beg that large-scale humanitarian assistance be allowed in,” the priest said. “Even though some trucks are looted at times, that cannot justify stopping all humanitarian assistance. The more aid comes in, the less likely theft becomes.”
A Call for Prayer and Action
Romanelli urged the international community to pray and “speak the truth clearly and with fairness,” emphasizing that peace is possible through prayer and diplomacy. He directed those wishing to help to channel support through the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which has previously delivered aid to the region.
“As we walk this way of the cross in Gaza, we cling to the hope that every via crucis ends with the empty tomb — with the Resurrection,” Romanelli concluded. “Christ suffers now in the innocent. But one day, glory will shine through.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from EWTN and CNA
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