NEW YORK – Religious sisters belonging to the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Lebanon have reportedly been caught in the crossfire of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, and Catholic agencies are calling for prayers and support for them and anyone else impacted.

“I am still in one piece,” Sister Maya Beaino, the director of a Lebanese school run by the congregation recently told Catholic Near East Welfare Association Canada. “Missiles are hitting just next to us, the convent is shaking, and windows are breaking.”

The congregation’s status was publicized by CNEWA Canada on Oct. 15, as the organization – in conjunction with Aid to the Church in Need Canada and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops – are calling for prayers and donations to support Christians in the Middle East.

The conflict dates back to October 2023, when Hezbollah fired guided rockets and artillery shells at Israel in support of Hamas following its October 7 attack. The conflict has persisted since, and escalated over the last month as the two sides have traded missile attacks, and Israel has launched a ground offensive into Lebanon. Over the past year, more than 2,000 Lebanese have been killed, and more than 10,500 injured in the conflict, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Caritas Lebanon announced Oct. 15 that thousands of families are fleeing their homes as the conflict escalates in southern Lebanon, where Israel invaded. The organization said its providing shelter, food, medical care, and psychological support.

“But we need your help to continue,” the organization said. “Every contribution makes a difference.

Marielle Boutros, ACN’s project coordinator for Lebanon, added that many Lebanese people are now living in church halls “so they will need food, sanitary products, mattresses, blankets, and if it continues, we will need heating for winter, though, of course, we hope it will not last that long.”

Bishop William McGrattan of Calgary asked for prayers.

“With the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel now having spread into Lebanon, causing further death, destruction and displacement, let us, the Catholic faithful in Canada, renew our prayers for peace in the Middle East, as urged by Pope Francis, and do whatever we can to help people who are affected by this recent escalation of violence,” McGrattan, the CCCB president said in an Oct. 15 statement.

Together, the aforementioned aid organizations and the CCCB said that any donations will be used towards food, medical supplies, shelter, and other essential goods that will serve the Lebanese people now and in the months ahead. If and when the conflict subsides, the focus will shift to the reconstruction of buildings and the healing of all those who are traumatized.

“Finally, we call on our benefactors to pray for an end to the violence, not only in Lebanon, but throughout the Holy Land and Middle East,” the organizations said. “We echo Pope Francis’s call for a ceasefire, which is a necessary first step toward a just and peaceful resolution of this conflict.”

According to CNEWA, Beaino had planned to open another school run by her congregation to help preserve the Christian presence in the region, and offer a sound education to all. The conflict has altered those plans, Beaino has said she will persist in her mission to serve.

“As long as there is a child and a mother in the village, I will maintain my mission,” Beaino told CNEWA, asking for people to keep them in their prayers.

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