The Priest Who Stayed in Gaza: Father Gabriel Romanelli's Memoir - Kristen Theriault

Kristen Theriault joins the program to unpack one of the most extraordinary Catholic memoirs in recent memory: Ruins and Light: In the Epicenter of Unrest by Father Gabriel Romanelli, the Claretian priest who serves the roughly one thousand Christians remaining in Gaza City at the Church of the Holy Family — the only Catholic church in Gaza. When war erupted on October 7, 2023, Father Romanelli was in Jerusalem but returned immediately to his parish, where displaced Christians — including those who fled after the bombing of the nearby Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church — took refuge. The book was co-authored with a French journalist from Le Figaro through a series of phone calls and interviews, giving it an urgent, diary-like quality. Father Romanelli's recurring phrase: "I am well for today" — a lived expression of Give us this day our daily bread. Kristen walks through the brutal conditions inside the church compound: bombs falling nearby, the church itself struck by fire, community members killed by sniper fire and tank rounds, Father Romanelli himself wounded. The community sifted worms from flour to make bread, soaked raisins in water to make wine for Mass, and parents spent their days foraging for food for their children. Through it all, Father Romanelli — himself a cancer survivor diagnosed in 2020 — maintained and preached authentic hope, inspired by Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning and rooted in the Eucharist. Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, wrote the foreword, describing the Gaza priest's role as simultaneously spiritual, pastoral, and humanitarian. Father Romanelli has been in regular contact with the Holy Father, first Pope Francis and now Pope Leo. Ruins and Light is available at Sophia Institute Press. #FatherGabrielRomanelli #Gaza #RuinsAndLight #Catholicmemoir #FaithOverFear #HolyFamilyGaza #CatholicPodcast #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicMorningShow #MiddleEast #ChristianPersecution #SophiaInstitute #GazaWar #CatholicRadio #PriestInGaza #HopeInSuffering #CardinalPizzaballa #PopeLeo #ChurchInGaza Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.