{"product_id":"the-priest-who-stayed-in-gaza-a-witness-to-hope-in-the-ruins-9798889117315","title":"The Priest Who Stayed in Gaza: A Witness to Hope in the Ruins","description":"\u003cp\u003e In the heart of Gaza City -- amid broken buildings, relentless bombardment, and the anguished cries of the displaced -- a single cross still hovers in the sky. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Beneath it stands the intrepid Church of the Holy Family. And inside is a priest who refuses to depart. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e When war erupted after October 7, 2023, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli could have remained safely in Jerusalem. Instead, he returned immediately to Gaza, to his parish, to his people, to the frightened families who had nowhere else to go. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Today, hundreds crowd into the small church seeking shelter from missiles, hunger, and despair. Water is scarce. Food is rationed. The future is uncertain. And yet, each and every day, Fr. Gabriel greets them with a smile, a blessing, and a word of hope. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The people call him \u003ci\u003eAbouna\u003c\/i\u003e -- \"our father.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In these pages, Fr. Gabriel opens his heart and reveals what it means to shepherd souls at the convergence point of modern conflict. He shares the hidden strength of the \"little-great\" light that emanates through the ruins, that secret source of joy that no bomb can destroy: union with the suffering Christ. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This is not a political account of a conflict. It is something far rarer. It is the testimony of a modern-day priest who chooses service over safety, presence over self-preservation. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e For eighteen months -- up until Holy Saturday 2025 -- Pope Francis called Fr. Gabriel daily to thank him and encourage him in his mission. Pope Leo XIV continues that contact today. Even after being injured when an explosion struck his church, Fr. Gabriel remains in place with his people. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e At a moment when the Middle East stands at a historic tipping point, this memoir offers something the headlines cannot give you -- the human face of faith under fire. In a world overwhelmed by noise, anger, and division, Fr. Gabriel's voice will remind you what courage looks like, what spiritual fatherhood truly means, and why hope will always be stronger than destruction. \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Sophia Institute Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/21\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798889117315\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256","brand":"Fr Gabriel Romanelli,Guillaume de Dieuleveult","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52452318085301,"sku":"9798889117315","price":16.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_a7b45046-48fd-44df-bc03-626e363584f0.jpg?v=1776826715","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-priest-who-stayed-in-gaza-a-witness-to-hope-in-the-ruins-9798889117315","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}