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Gaza’s only Catholic school reopens after 3-year closure

September 16, 2026 · 1 min read

A Catholic school in the war-torn Gaza Strip reopened its doors this week after being closed for nearly three years.

Holy Family School, attached to Gaza’s only Catholic church, Holy Family Parish, welcomed approximately 1,000 students back to school on Sept. 15, according to the Catholic aid group Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Holy Family’s parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, told a visiting delegation from ACN that he hopes the reopening of the school “will bring some sense of normality” to the students and their families, “even though nothing is normal in Gaza.”

“There is almost nowhere in Gaza that has not been destroyed, destruction is all around,” Romanelli said, “but we have worked hard to make the school a clean environment, where the children — who have been through so much — can feel safe.”

The ACN delegation was in Gaza to assess local needs during the ongoing war with Israel, which began Oct. 7, 2023, and which has taken nearly 74,000 lives in the Gaza Strip, according to the aid group.

Students at Holy Family Catholic school in Gaza. | Credit: Aid to the Church in Need

The majority of the 1,000 students at the school are Muslim, according to…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (4) 🌐 Show original

Juraj Horváth

I am glad that the school has reopened after three years, and at least 1000 children have a clean place where they can feel safe. Father Romanelli is right; nothing normal is there, but even this small piece of normality can help. I pray for all those Muslim and Christian families.

Simona Ciobanu

I am glad that they managed to clean the school and welcome the thousand children, mostly Muslims, to a clean place. Father Romanelli is right, nothing is normal there, but such a small gesture can give them a little peace of mind. I pray for them too.

Petar Marković

I am glad that they cleaned that school and returned 1,000 children, mostly Muslim, to a clean area. Father Romanelli is right, destruction is everywhere, but at least they have one safe place. I will pray for those children and their families.

Larisa Tudor

Yes, it's good that they cleaned everything and opened the door again for the thousand children, especially since most of them are Muslims. Father Romanelli is doing what he can in that mess, but I wonder how they manage to bring textbooks and notebooks when everything around is destroyed. I also pray that it will last as long as possible.