The Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza is the only Catholic parish in the region. The church provides essential services, including medical care and support for the disabled. The parish houses a school and a kindergarten, offering education to children. The church community faces significant challenges due to the ongoing conflict and blockade. Despite hardships, the church remains a place of hope and resilience for the local Catholic population.
15 days ago
The Holy Family Parish stands as the only Catholic church in Gaza, having been established in the 1960s 1 3. It serves a small Christian minority within the predominantly Muslim territory, where Christians constitute less than 1% of Gaza's population of approximately 1,000 1 3. The parish complex has become a vital refuge for over 500 individuals, including Christians of various denominations and some Muslim families, as well as children with disabilities, since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023 1 3.
On July 17, 2025, the Holy Family Church was reportedly struck, resulting in three fatalities and nine injuries, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli 1 3. The attack caused damage to the church's roof and windows 1 3. This incident is not isolated, as the parish compound has been subjected to previous bombings, including a rocket strike in December 2023 that rendered the Missionaries of Charity convent uninhabitable and killed two women, though the IDF denied responsibility for that specific event 1 3. The Israeli Foreign Ministry expressed "deep sorrow" regarding the recent damage and casualties, asserting that Israel does not target churches or religious sites 1 3.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, a native of Buenos Aires and a priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, has served as the parish priest since 2019 1 3. Despite being evacuated to Jerusalem at the start of the war in 2023, he chose to return to Gaza to minister to his congregation and support the community 1 3. Three orders of religious sisters—the Missionaries of Charity, the Holy Rosary Sisters, and the Servants of the Lord the Virgin of Matará (Servidoras)—also provide crucial assistance, caring for the elderly and disabled, and continuing their ministry amidst the conflict 1 3.
The welfare of the Holy Family Parish is a significant concern for the broader Catholic Church leadership. Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, has consistently emphasized the importance of supporting the community, stating, "we will never leave them alone" 1 3. He has demonstrated this commitment through multiple visits to the parish in 2024 1 3. Furthermore, in the last year and a half of his life, Pope Francis maintained almost daily contact with the parish through WhatsApp calls, which the children affectionately referred to as calls from their "grandfather" 1 3.
Beyond its role as a sanctuary, the parish complex also houses the Latin Patriarchate school, established in 1974 1 3. This school is highly regarded in Gaza, educating over 600 students, comprising both Christian and non-Christian children 1 3. Father Romanelli has described Gaza as a "prison" and has urged world leaders to pursue peace, highlighting the dire conditions in one of the world's most densely populated and impoverished areas 1 3.
How does the Church minister in times of war?
The Catholic Church ministers in times of war by promoting peace, defending human dignity, providing spiritual care to military personnel, and advocating for humanitarian law .
The Church's mission includes the promotion of peace, which is seen as an integral part of continuing Christ's work of redemption . War is viewed as a failure of human dignity, and the Church consistently works to prevent conflicts and resolve them through peaceful means . Popes have historically called for dialogue and negotiation to avoid the use of force, emphasizing that "Nothing is lost with peace; all may be lost with war" . The Church also lends its voice to the victims of war, torture, and displacement, and seeks to educate consciences towards openness, respect, and solidarity .
The Church's defense of human rights is intimately linked to its universal religious mission, teaching respect for the inalienable dignity of every person . This includes rejecting torture as fundamentally incompatible with human dignity . Even in the midst of conflict, the Church stresses the importance of respecting the dignity of military adversaries, civilian victims, and every human being involved .
A significant aspect of the Church's ministry during wartime is the spiritual care provided to military personnel through military ordinariates and chaplains . This pastoral care aims to ensure that those serving their country receive the Word of God and the sacraments . Military chaplains are called to be faithful heralds of the truth of peace, accompanying and supporting soldiers and their families, and offering the balm of God's Word, the Eucharist, and Reconciliation to heal spiritual wounds . They also play a crucial role in educating military staff on the values of humanitarian law, ensuring it is understood as an ethical code .
The Church recognizes the commitment and sacrifice of those in the armed forces, viewing them as ministering to the security and freedom of their peoples, and thus contributing to the establishment of peace when performing their duty rightly . However, the Church also upholds the moral right to conscientious objection to war .
The Church actively promotes international humanitarian law, which seeks to safeguard essential principles of humanity within the dehumanizing context of war . This includes protecting non-combatants, the wounded, and prisoners, and banning weapons that inflict brutal and pointless suffering . Military chaplains are encouraged to contribute to the education of military personnel in these values .
Furthermore, the Church fosters reconciliation necessary for re-establishing peace after conflicts . It emphasizes building bridges rather than walls, seeking mediation and reconciliation, and never viewing the other as merely an enemy to be destroyed, but as a person with intrinsic dignity . The Church also contributes to the human, spiritual, moral, and civic formation of young people, teaching them justice, peace, and fraternal respect to resist resentment and violence .