More than six months since the ceasefire came into effect, after yet another devastating war in Lebanon, the Church is still suffering the aftermath of the intense bombardment and resulting mass displacement. Religious Sisters are doing everything they can to provide material aid and pastoral support to traumatised Christian communities.
During a visit to Lebanon by staff of the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) at the end of last month, multiple project partners, struggling families and other local contacts described the many challenges the population continues to face, especially in the southern regions, near the border with Israel.
Sister Gerard Merhej, Director of the Antonine Sisters’ School in Debel, South Lebanon, said: “There used to be many educated families in the area, but most of them left for Beirut where there are more job opportunities.” The number of children at the school has halved – decreasing from 400 to 200 – since the beginning of the war, according to Sister Merhej.
Highlighting the disastrous economic impact of the war, she revealed that “the families that have stayed have no income because they used to work in agriculture” and “the fields in the area have been destroyed” in the war. She explained that those remaining in the village are “trying to get started with cultivation of some kind as an alternative source of income” in order to provide for their families.
ACN’s support has been vital in enabling her congregation to continue to provide quality education to children and give hope to suffering families, Sister Merhej emphasised.
Also in South Lebanon, Sister Maya El Beaino of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, chose to stay with her community in Ain Ebel throughout the war. She told ACN that her congregation’s mission is “to go to the peripheries and accompany those in need of help”.
Despite the difficult situation, the sisters’ school is one of the highest-performing ones in Lebanon – last year 79 percent of pupils had excellent grades, and six were among the top 10 pupils in the country. Sister El Beaino said: “The school switched to online teaching during the war. When there was an airstrike near the home of one of the pupils, all of them could hear it.” The pupils “had a sense that they were all in it together, even though they were physically apart”, according to the sister.
She explained that “in October 2024, the local population had 40 minutes to evacuate before the airstrikes began”. The sister heard the explosions all around her during the night, but she did not leave because she knew the faithful were relying on her for spiritual support. Recalling the most desperate period of the war – October and November 2024 – she explained: “Only old people remained in the village at some point. They would rather die at home than move somewhere else.” She added that ACN’s support was crucial in providing the elderly with medication which would otherwise have been “impossible” to obtain during the most intense bombardment.
To conclude, Sister El Beaino expressed her gratitude: “Thank you so much for all you are doing. Thank God for ACN.” In addition to emergency aid and medical help, ACN has also supported clergy, religious congregations and Catholic schools throughout Lebanon since the outbreak of the war.
By Amy Balog.
