Amid the ruins of war and the pain of long days, the Holy Family Latin Parish in Gaza continues to stand firm—offering a living witness to faith and Christian resilience. The presence of their shepherd among them became a source of comfort and strength, as on the morning of Friday, July 18, 2025, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, paid a joint solidarity visit to Gaza at the head of an ecclesial delegation, bearing a message of pastoral communion from the Churches of the Holy Land and reaffirming their spiritual and human closeness to the people of Gaza.
Cardinal Pizzaballa has long been committed to visiting the Holy Family Parish in Gaza twice a year. Yet this most recent visit became, in itself, a miracle and a door of hope amid the ongoing conflict. The Cardinal remained with the parish community for three days, during which he closely followed their spiritual and material needs and worked earnestly to address them. He listened with deep paternal compassion to the stories and concerns of his parishioners.
Throughout these days, His Beatitude prayed with the faithful, presided over daily Mass celebrations, offered condolences to the families of victims and the wounded, visited the Orthodox Church and the Caritas center, as well as checked up on the damaged infrasturcture of the Parish and School.
“You Are Not Alone”
During Sunday Mass Homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa expressed the depth of ecclesial solidarity with Gaza, affirming that his presence alongside Patriarch Theophilos is a sign of the Church's heart, as it reflects "the unity of the Church and the solidarity of all the Churches in the world with you.” He emphasized that the Church’s concern is not limited to Christians alone, but extends to every person:“Our heart is open to all. It is important to stress that. We are thankful for all what we have been able to do for you here, but we are also concerned for all what is happening in all Gaza".
Reflecting on the reading from the Book of Genesis, recounting God’s visit to Abraham in his tent, the Cardinal saw an echo of that God's encounter in Gaza today: "This reminded me of all the tents I saw in these days along the way. Abraham was outside the tent. He was old, Sara was old. They had no children, meaning that there was no more perspective of life for them. And those three men, who are symbol of the passage of God, visited him.... and as consequence of the God visit, Abraham got a promise of life, a child. We must pray for the visit of God among us. But also, we must pray to be able to recognize such presence. You might not notice this because you live here, but every-time I came here - unfortunately not often – I can testify by experience that yes, God already visited you! Because I see in your presence, in many people, life inside you. In this sea of death, of destruction, life is present. Wherever there is one who is willing to give life for the other, God is present".
Despite the harsh reality, the Cardinal renewed hope through the strength of faith: "In this sea of hatred and violence, which is a clear sign of the power of the devil... albeit so powerful, cannot extinguish life in us. So, we must be strong and continue being a living presence here".
Drawing from the Sunday Gospel about the visit of Jesus to Mary and Martha, the Patriarch highlighted the importance of not allowing the urgency of the situation to draw us away from the leading voice of God: "There are a lot of things to do here in Gaza. Emergencies are everywhere. You talked to me about that. Many of you mentioned the problems of the life here, are concerned about the future… and the hospitals and Caritas and all the things we need to do. We have to be present and to do all what is possible to do, of course, but we shouldn’t become Marta. We shouldn’t allow these things to control our choices. The things to do will be enormous and we cannot do everything. So, we have not to allow the things that have to be done to determine what we have to do. The love of God in us should determine what we have to do. We have to listen to God first, and if we listen to Him we will do all what is necessary, but with the right attitude".
In closing his homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa expressed heartfelt gratitude to the faithful of Gaza: " I want to thank you for your example. Every time I come here, I go home with more that I learnt from what I gave. Remain united in Jesus. All the world is looking at you. Remain the light here in Gaza, not just for you and for Gaza, but for all of us. May the lord bless all of you".
From Rome: Pope Leo XIV Raises His Voice for Gaza
From the very beginning of his pontificate, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has consistently advocated for peace in the Holy Land and for a ceasefire in Gaza. In a recent phone call with the Israeli Prime Minister, the Holy Father expressed his “deep sorrow and serious concern” regarding the attack on the Holy Family Church, and called for the “protection of all places of worship and respect for international humanitarian law.”
Pope Leo also phoned Cardinal Pizzaballa during his visit to Gaza, conveying his “closeness, concern, prayers, support, and desire to do everything possible to achieve not only a ceasefire but an end to this tragedy.”
During the Angelus prayer on Sunday, July 20, the Pope delivered a heartfelt appeal: “Tragic news continues to arrive in these days from the Middle East, especially from Gaza. I express my profound sadness regarding last Thursday’s attack by the Israeli army on the Catholic Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City, which as you know killed three Christians and gravely wounded others. I pray for the victims, Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, Najwa Ibrahim Latif Abu Daoud, and I am particularly close to their families and to all the parishioners".
He added: "I again call for an immediate halt to the barbarism of the war and for a peaceful resolution of the conflict".
The Pope concluded with a message to the Christians of the Middle East: "I deeply sympathise with your feeling that you can do little in the face of this grave situation. You are in the heart of the Pope and of the whole Church. Thank you for your witness of faith. May the Virgin Mary, woman of the Levant, dawn of the new Sun that has risen in history, protect you always and accompany the world towards the dawn of peace".
Holy Family Parish: Seed of Hope in the Heart of Gaza
Founded in 1974, the Holy Family Parish remains the only Catholic church in Gaza, serving a small Christian community of fewer than a thousand faithful. Yet despite its size, this parish continues to be a strong testament of the faith, deeply rooted in hope, bearing witness to the Gospel amid suffering.
Since the begining of the war, the church became a place of refuge. Despite destruction and displacement, it continues to open its doors and celebrate the sacraments. In a recent statement, the Latin Patriarchate affirmed: “Though small in number, this community is great in faith.”
A novena for peace, supported by Catholics around the world, has now begun—uniting voices from Gaza to Rome in a shared prayer for justice and peace.
