More than 30 friars of the Custody of the Holy Land live in the nine convents in Galilee (the region in the north of Israel, near the border with Lebanon), from Haifa to Acre, to Capernaum (Kfar Nahum), Tabgha and Magdala, on the Sea of Galilee, via Nazareth, Cana and Mujeidel, and going up to Mount Tabor. For some weeks now, the friars have been dealing with the intensification of missiles launched from Lebanon. “We have been living with missiles and sirens for a year now, but since the front has opened with Lebanon, the launches have intensified, the missiles are arriving closer,” says Fra Fábio Inácio Borges, guardian of Capernaum. “In the community we support one another, we pray together,” says Fra Wojciech Bołoz, guardian of Nazareth. “The most difficult thing to bear is the loneliness and sense of abandonment. In this sense, the recent fraternal visit by the Custos to our convents was very important.”
On the Sea of Galilee
About ten friars live in the convents that look on to the Sea of Galilee. Some missiles have fallen in the vicinity, but no convent has been damaged directly. “We see the smoke rising, at times even the flames of the fires,” says Fra Fabio, from Capernaum. What jumps out most is the almost total absence of pilgrims: “Before the war, three to four thousand people a day would arrive, today, they are fewer than two thousand a month, and the visits are very short.” All the shrines are nevertheless open and the friars keep busy with their ordinary maintenance.
Time is marked by prayer and the rhythm of community life, “the only thing that has never changed.” Indeed, “we have more possibilities to be together now, which was difficult when there were so many pilgrims to welcome.” There is more time for reading, prayer and personal meditation. “We feel the tension, but at the same time we are experiencing an inner peace. We trust that the Lord is close to us and watches over our path.”
Sea front
Fra Raffaele Caputo, from Acre, tells of “difficult days” since the Israeli offensive began in Lebanon. Many missiles are intercepted above the city. “We have moved the Sunday Mass from St John’s. which is on the ramparts of Acre, very exposed, to St Francis, the church of our convent, inside the old city, which is far more sheltered.” With Fra Arturo, his confrere, “we try to support one another and be faithful to the rule. We celebrate Mass together and we pray the Liturgy of the hours.”
About 200/250 people refer to the Franciscan parish. “I try to be as close as possible to them, including through technology. When I see the alerts, I try and contact those who are in danger at that moment to give them words of comfort.” Social life has practically stopped: “the souk is empty, the shops are closed, people stay at home and nobody knows when they will be able to open again.” At the moment, “there is no need for anything particular. We all need peace.” Fra Raffaele has been in the Holy Land since 1966 and has gone through many critical times. “The important thing is to be pleased with what the Lord gives us and have faith in Providence. Every day we pray to the Lord to give our beloved Holy Land peace, and we are waiting for the goodness of the Lord. Providence never abandons anyone.”
Home and school
Fra Elias Badie and Fra Usama Bahbah form the small community of Haifa and are responsible for the Terra Santa schools in Galilee: Acre, Nazareth and Haifa. Fra Elias hides nothing: “The situation is difficult. The schools are closed, we do lessons online, but we don’t know when we will be able to return to lessons in presence. What’s more, we do not have bunkers in our schools, because the buildings are all old, built in the middle of the 17th century, and they do not meet the standards required today. This will be a problem to face for the future.”
Fra Elias confides that “many youngsters do not see possibilities here and are thinking about leaving the country. Problems in the family have also greatly increased,” due to the psychological stress caused by the war. “The pharmacies have sold out of products against anxiety and stress,” says Fra Elias, and he shares his concern: “I’ve seen how frightened the children are when the sirens go off. Since the start of this war, we have been working with a number of psychologists to give them support, but the result of all this will be seen in the future. Today we see the fear, but what is sown today – the fear, the missiles and the sirens - what will it bring in the future of our children?”
Fra Elias and Fra Usama try to support each other, following the Franciscan Rule. “In prayer we find strength and hope. This is the land of the Lord, and the thought that, even if today we are living in difficult times, the Lord’s eye is on His Land, is always with us. This gives us peace.”
At the feet of the Virgin Mary
The community of Nazareth, 13 friars, is the largest one. “We try to follow our Rule of prayer and community life,” says Fra Wojciech, who has been in the Holy Land since 2000 and in Nazareth for two years. “We try to stay in contact with the other friars in Galilee. We have a large community here, in the surroundings there are religious communities and many Christians, so we can meet, share and pray together.”
There are no pilgrims, but the life of the shrine and above all that of the parish continues regularly: in a little while the catechism, the pre-matrimonial courses and other meetings will start again. “Nazareth is not a direct target, but missiles are often intercepted above the city and fragments fall. We have even found some on the esplanade in front of the convent… This is why we have taken certain precautions, for example the torch-lit procession of Saturday evening has been moved to inside the basilica.” The local faithful “continue to come to the shrine, especially for the torch-lit procession and for the adoration of the Eucharist. They are very heartfelt moments. People put their needs, their hopes and their desire for peace at the feet of the Virgin Mary.”
Marinella Bandini
