Gaza’s only Catholic church damaged by shrapnel

The sole Catholic church in Gaza was damaged over the weekend as a result of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed that shrapnel from Israeli military strikes on buildings in the vicinity of the Holy Family Church had destroyed water tanks and solar panels on the roof of the church, <a href="https://acnuk.org/news/holy-land-gaza-catholic-church-damaged-by-airstrike/"><strong>re</strong></a><a href="https://acnuk.org/news/holy-land-gaza-catholic-church-damaged-by-airstrike/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>ports</strong></a> Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Cars and other buildings in the parish complex were also damaged.<br><br>“Only a miracle prevented a big catastrophe from happening to us,” a local ACN partner said. The parish has also run out of fuel due to the conflict, "depriving the community of electricity and any stable means of communication", according to ACN. ACN reported in November that 750 displaced Christians—including 100 children and 70 people with special needs—were being cared for in the parish under the guidance of a priest and a congregation of the&nbsp;Rosary Sisters. ACN has been active in the Holy Land throughout the conflict providing medical supplies, meals and food coupons to “thousands of Christians”, as well as assisting with rent and utility bill payments. Main photo: A nun from the Missionaries of Charity order attends Christmas Eve mass at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, 24 December 2022. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images.)