What do you think?
Rate this book
The Priest Who Stayed in Gaza: A Witness to Hope in the Rubble
The Priest Who Stayed When the World Left
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.
Beneath it stands the intrepid Church of the Holy Family. And inside is a priest who refuses to depart.
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.
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.
The people call him Abouna — “our father.”
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 union with the suffering Christ.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Beneath it stands the intrepid Church of the Holy Family. And inside is a priest who refuses to depart.
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.
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.
The people call him Abouna — “our father.”
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 union with the suffering Christ.
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.
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.
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.
256 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 20, 2026
I wanted to learn more about the situation in Gaza, and I got nowhere with this book. Romanelli is obviously watching what he says and can only complain about the attacks that are happening (mostly from Israelis), offering nothing in the way of solutions except bland calls for peace. At one point, he complains that he's treated like the leader of an NGO, but this is exactly what his ministry feels like. He doesn't dare try to proselytize, but instead welcomes everyone without checking to see if they might just be Hamas terrorists looking to hide somewhere. Most of the narrative concerns him and other priests responding to this or that problem with incoming refugees and weathering the periodic bombings from the Israeli armies.
There's nothing deep or penetrating here. Yes, there's a war and it's hard, but what is supposed to happen when a group perpetuates the worst crimes of Jews since the Holocaust and holds on to hostages for month on in? For his part, Romanelli offers sanctuary to everyone and nothing more. He's quite proud of just how brave and selfless he is because he chooses to stay in a war zone, but who is he really helping anyone with this? He provides cover for criminals, limits what Israel can do about the terrorists, and provides free elderly care and childcare for Muslim Palestinians who seem content with collecting welfare all their lives while sympathizing with Hamas who have actively destroyed their home.
As far as the writing goes, it's fairly vapid and forgettable. The emphasis is on the suffering of the residents in Gaza, and leaving it to God to fix the issue. Everything is passive and nothing can be done. Again, for readers wanting to learn more and keep an open mind, there's not much here. After a while, it just feel repetitive and pointless.
There's nothing deep or penetrating here. Yes, there's a war and it's hard, but what is supposed to happen when a group perpetuates the worst crimes of Jews since the Holocaust and holds on to hostages for month on in? For his part, Romanelli offers sanctuary to everyone and nothing more. He's quite proud of just how brave and selfless he is because he chooses to stay in a war zone, but who is he really helping anyone with this? He provides cover for criminals, limits what Israel can do about the terrorists, and provides free elderly care and childcare for Muslim Palestinians who seem content with collecting welfare all their lives while sympathizing with Hamas who have actively destroyed their home.
As far as the writing goes, it's fairly vapid and forgettable. The emphasis is on the suffering of the residents in Gaza, and leaving it to God to fix the issue. Everything is passive and nothing can be done. Again, for readers wanting to learn more and keep an open mind, there's not much here. After a while, it just feel repetitive and pointless.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
That's a powerful testimony. I can barely imagine the scene that Fr. Romanelli paints, let alone his commitment to stay with his parish.
July 24, 2026
A must-read for future ministers.
"The Priest Who Stayed in Gaza" is a powerful memoir written under fire, by a Catholic priest supporting a congregation in the midst of a genocide.
"The Priest Who Stayed in Gaza" is a powerful memoir written under fire, by a Catholic priest supporting a congregation in the midst of a genocide.
September 23, 2026
This book describes the daily horrors of living in a war. The book does not explain the conflict of Israel and Palestine. It’s more of a journal of everyday living since the October 7th, 2023.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews