Five months after an October 2025 fire destroyed the Bernaga monastery in La Valletta Brianza, Italy, the Ambrosian Hermits have received significant support. Local authorities and volunteers have contributed thousands of hours of labor and professional services. Donations totaling 368,000 euros were collected, adding to municipal funds. The community is now focused on securing the ruins and planning reconstruction. The Badessa, Maria Alessandra Regalia, expressed gratitude for the widespread generosity that has helped the sisters during their temporary relocation. This collective effort highlights the strong bond between the religious community and the local residents of the Lecco province.
Abbot Nikodemus Schnabel of the Benedictine community on Mount Zion in Jerusalem and Tabgha states that his monks are staying in Israel despite the ongoing war. Speaking to Agenzia SIR, he explained that the Benedictine vow of stability compels them to remain in their specific monasteries rather than flee. The communities have converted their facilities into shelters for stranded pilgrims and locals seeking safety from sirens and explosions. Schnabel describes the monasteries as islands of hope where Jews, Christians, and Muslims find refuge together. The abbot emphasizes that this presence offers a concrete sign of resilience and shared humanity in a region marked by conflict and division.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of the Holy Family parish in Gaza, describes daily life amid sandstorms and ongoing conflict. He reports that strong winds have covered the area in yellow dust, forcing the closure of the parish school and activities. Despite destruction and instability, the community continues to pray and educate students, including Muslim pupils. Meanwhile, Israeli sources announced the partial reopening of the Rafah crossing on March 18 for limited traffic. Local authorities reported recent casualties from bombardments, including police officers, highlighting the persistent danger in the region.
From November 30 to December 8, a delegation of Italian doctors and pastoral assistants conducted a mission at the Ruaraka Uhai Neema Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. The initiative was funded by the Enav Foundation and involved staff from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and the Gemelli University Hospital. The team delivered training seminars on pediatrics, internal medicine, and endocrinology. Organizers stated the project aims to strengthen local healthcare autonomy through a collaborative approach. The mission highlighted the partnership between Italian institutions and the local NGO World Friends to address regional health needs.
In Moramanga, Madagascar, Bishop Rosario Saro Vella travels by motorcycle to remote villages due to poor road conditions. The diocese is launching the Don Bosco University to educate over a thousand students, supported by Italian Church funding. Rector Prisca Marav highlights challenges like student poverty and limited career interest in local industries. The Church also provides scholarships and humanitarian aid, addressing severe infrastructure deficits and economic inequality in the region.
Chadi Ammar, a 20-year-old volunteer for the Order of Malta, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. The diplomatic representative Maria Emerica Cortese stated that Ammar died while trying to restore internet connectivity for residents in a heavily attacked Christian village near the Israeli border. The Order of Malta has issued a humanitarian alert, noting that Lebanon is struggling to cope with the renewed conflict amid previous crises. Over one million people have been displaced, and the organization is providing aid in numerous shelters across the country.
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Illustrative photo, not from the original report · Photo by Euan Cameron on UnsplashPersecuted church
Three years after the conflict began, the Catholic Church is attempting to resume operations in the capital and nearby urban areas. A Comboni missionary reports that while the city remains largely empty and damaged, religious groups are cautiously reopening schools and parishes. The country is divided, with the army controlling the north and east, and Rapid Support Forces dominating the west, including a major region. Humanitarian conditions are severe, with millions facing hunger. The missionary urges the international community to support diplomatic efforts and aid access, warning that renewed fighting would force displaced people to flee again.
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The Angelo Custode Foundation, established by the Diocese of Bergamo in Italy, is presenting its model for integrating complex disability care with community life at a Cei conference. Director Giuseppe Giovannelli explains that the goal is to transform residential and day services into open spaces that reduce isolation for patients and caregivers. The foundation operates approximately 50 residential and 35 day spots for minors, alongside adult services for severe autism. Giovannelli emphasizes involving volunteers and siblings to foster social connection. Future plans include flexible residential models to help individuals remain in their family homes longer, supported by home care services.
The Italian Focsiv federation has been allocated 638 positions for international universal civil service projects across 44 countries. This opportunity, part of a larger 2026 national call, allows young people aged 18 to 28 to engage in peace and solidarity work abroad. The roles cover areas such as sustainable development, migrant support, and education in regions including Africa and Latin America. Participants receive a monthly stipend and allowances, with accommodation provided by the hosting entities. Focsiv president Ivana Borsotto describes the initiative as a vital school for active citizenship and nonviolence, emphasizing the importance of serving vulnerable communities in global peripheries. Applications are due by April 8, 2026.
Father Ignatius Moskalyuk, rector of the Basilian monastery in Kherson, Ukraine, reports that Russian forces continue to bombard residential areas and attack civilian transport. On March 11, a drone strike hit a bus, injuring at least 20 people who were taken to local hospitals. The priest states that the use of fiber-optic drones aims to intimidate the population and force them to flee, creating a ghost region. Despite the fear and destruction, residents refuse to abandon the city. The monastery remains open, offering spiritual support and hope to the community as they endure the ongoing conflict.
A Combonian priest, representing his order in Egypt and Sudan, traveled to Italy to draw attention to the ongoing civil war in Sudan. He warns that the conflict, now in its third year, has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Citing international data, he notes that 14 million people are displaced and 25 million face food insecurity. The war began as a power struggle between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces, with regional powers backing different sides. The priest criticizes the lack of political and media attention compared to other global conflicts and calls for international diplomatic efforts to achieve a truce.
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Hundreds of communities across Italy, including dioceses in Cagliari, Pisa, and Foggia-Bovino, have joined the Italian Episcopal Conference’s call for a day of fasting and prayer for peace. The initiative aims to end conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, specifically honoring Father Pierre al-Rahi, a Caritas chaplain killed in Lebanon. Archbishop Matteo Zuppi emphasized that war is fratricidal, while local leaders like Archbishop Giuseppe Baturi and Archbishop Giorgio Ferretti led Eucharistic adoration and Masses. The faithful expressed a desire to silence weapons through prayer, viewing fasting as a spiritual weapon against global violence.
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Alessandro Calcagno, vice secretary general of COMECE, told Agenzia SIR that attacks on churches and clergy are increasing across the European Union. Following a European Parliament resolution, COMECE urges the European Commission to appoint a coordinator to fight anti-Christian hate. Calcagno highlighted incidents in France, Italy, and Poland, including vandalism and aggression against priests. He argued that current EU funding and policies often overlook Christian communities, focusing instead on minorities. The group emphasizes the need for equal protection for all religious groups and better security for public expressions of faith, citing reports from Oidac and OSCE as evidence of the growing trend.
Lebanon is experiencing a severe humanitarian emergency following the outbreak of war between Hezbollah and Israel on March 3. According to Mazen Moussawer of Caritas Lebanon, approximately 900,000 people have been internally displaced. The fighting has heavily impacted southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and parts of Beirut. Caritas has activated its network to provide shelter, food, medical care, and psychological support to families forced to leave their homes. The agency notes that the sudden displacement places additional strain on the country's already fragile economic and social infrastructure.
Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Borgia visited the village of Deir Mimas in southern Lebanon, a region heavily affected by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Father Toufic Bou Merhi reported that the visit brought comfort to residents enduring months of bombardments. During the meeting at the Church of St. Mary Assumption, bombs fell nearby, highlighting the danger of the journey. The community, now reduced to about 200 people, welcomed the representative of the Holy See with generosity. Father Toufic noted that while the visit offered temporary relief from the anxiety of war and evacuation orders, the humanitarian crisis remains severe, with hundreds of thousands displaced across the country.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine reports that Russian authorities have forcibly transferred over 1,205 minors from occupied Ukrainian regions to Russia. The commission states these systematic deportations, which began before the February 2022 invasion, constitute crimes against humanity. Despite Russia’s claim of evacuation, 80% of the children remain separated from their families after four years. The report highlights that parents were not informed, and long-term placement in Russian institutions prevented reunification. This practice violates international humanitarian law and causes irreversible harm to the children.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have fled their homes due to Israeli military operations and ongoing conflict in the south. According to Father William Makari, northern communities in Zgharta have opened churches and schools to provide temporary shelter. The influx exacerbates Lebanon's severe economic crisis, with rising costs for food and fuel. Local residents are donating supplies, while organizations like the North Autism Center assist vulnerable children. The humanitarian emergency follows previous displacement in 2024, leaving many refugees with nothing. Meanwhile, schools remain closed, and the death of a southern priest highlights the human toll of the war.
Father Pierre Al-Rahi, a Maronite parish priest in southern Lebanon, was killed on Monday during indiscriminate bombardments that targeted civilians. The outlet reports that he died while rushing to aid injured parishioners. His death underscores the ongoing risks faced by missionaries who remain with their communities amid war. The article notes that the Israeli army briefly suspended attacks to allow participation in his funeral, alongside a Lebanese general. Pope Leo XIV described Al-Rahi as a true shepherd who stayed by his people. The report connects this event to the broader context of religious figures sacrificing their lives in conflict zones, citing the 1996 martyrdom of Trappist monks in Algeria as a historical parallel for such steadfast commitment.
Alexandra Skochilenko, known as Sasha, was sentenced to seven years in Russia for altering supermarket price tags with anti-war messages. After serving part of her term, she was released in a 2024 prisoner exchange and now resides in Berlin. In an interview with Avvenire, she highlighted the increasing severity of sentences in Russia, which now range up to twenty years. She specifically advocates for the release of minors, citing the case of Arsenij Turbin, a teenager imprisoned for expressing dissent. Skochilenko argues that detaining adolescents constitutes a crime requiring international attention and urges support for families of political prisoners.
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