Israel's attacks on Hezbollah continue<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOn May 25, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that military operations\u2014which began in early March as part of the war against Iran\u2014would intensify, claiming that Hezbollah was not respecting the ceasefire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Reuters, the Israeli military was not letting its guard down. \u201cOn the contrary, I told them to step on the gas even more,\u201d he added. (Note: In fact, the attacks continued on June 10.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The result, according to Father Zelazny, is mounting pressure on villages near the southern border. \u201cIn some places, only small Christian villages remain,\u201d he said. \u201cMuslims have abandoned those areas. There are tunnels where Hezbollah fighters are hiding. The Christians remain there and live under a kind of constant siege.\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many refuse to leave, fearing that leaving would mean permanent exile. \u201cThey say that if they leave, they\u2019ll never return,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aid from the Church reaches some of the isolated villages through Catholic networks coordinated by Caritas and the Apostolic Nunciature in Beirut. The director of ACN mentioned three communities in particular\u2014Debel ,<\/a> Ain Ebel and Rmecich\u2014where humanitarian aid continues despite the growing insecurity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Libanoataqueisraeli1-1024x576.jpg\")
A damaged vehicle lies amid the rubble at the site of an Israeli attack in Tyre, Lebanon, on May 28, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOrdinary lives abruptly shattered<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\"The crisis is not measured solely in terms of destroyed buildings, but in terms of everyday lives that have been abruptly cut short,\" said the priest, who described his encounter with a displaced family from the region near Cana, in southern Lebanon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His father had worked in telecommunications for years before deciding to return to his hometown due to family health issues. He sold everything, bought a small store, and started over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe store had even started turning a profit,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News. \u201cNine months later, instead of a store, all that\u2019s left is a huge ruin.\u201d Now, two families share an unfurnished apartment with four girls, a young boy, and an elderly aunt. \u201cThey have practically nothing,\u201d he said. \u201cGarden chairs and mattresses on the floor are their only furniture.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many Lebanese Christians, the future has come down to a matter of survival. However, Father Zelazny said that the greatest danger is despair, especially among young people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe most painful thing is that, when you talk to young people, all they ask about is how to get a visa,\u201d he said. \u201cThey don\u2019t see a future for themselves in this country.\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/LibanoFamiliasMosaicos2-1024x682.jpg\")
Christian families create mosaics as part of a project to support displaced and vulnerable communities in Jounieh, Lebanon, on May 25, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Micha\u0142 Banach, courtesy of ACN).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nLittle freedom to enjoy the summer\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSummer vacation has already begun in Lebanon, but for many children and teenagers, the constant insecurity, airstrikes, and economic collapse leave them with little freedom to enjoy it. Many spend most of the day at home, with few safe places to go. \u201cWhat are young people supposed to do?\u201d asked Father Zelazny. \u201cThey stay at home, maybe visit their friends. Is it any wonder they just want to get out?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Church groups are trying to create alternatives. He pointed to youth programs led by Franciscans and supported by Catholic charities, including recreation centers where children can play sports, swim, or simply spend time together safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want \u201ca future, a normal life\u201d <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFather Zelazny said that Christians in the region need help \u201cnot just to survive, but to have a life.\u201d They want \u201ca future, a normal life,\u201d he told OSV News. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this reason, many of ACN\u2019s projects in Lebanon do not focus on direct aid, but rather on helping people earn a decent income. During his trip, Father Zelazny visited artisans who craft religious objects from cedar wood. Since Lebanon\u2019s cedars are protected, the artisans use only carefully selected branches obtained from routine pruning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christian artists in the country's Cedar Region<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDuring his trip through the Cedar Region of Lebanon\u2014which gave the country its national symbol\u2014Father Zelazny met several Christian artisans supported by ACN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight now, we\u2019re bringing in people who make items for us that we then sell, in order to help Christians who, with no tourists, simply have no way to survive,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News by phone on May 27 from Lebanon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local Christians who made rosaries, cedar wood carvings, and small religious souvenirs were suddenly deprived of this source of income when tourists disappeared from Lebanon as fighting broke out in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another initiative related to the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik<\/a>, a leading Lebanese academic center, Syrian students and refugees are working alongside a Syrian Catholic priest who is also an artist. Together, they create mosaics using stones imported from all over the world. \u201cA single icon can provide them with a decent livelihood for a month,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cWhy just give them money when they can work? They don\u2019t want charity. They want independence.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat same logic guided a recent project with the Greek Catholic Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who took in displaced families at their monastery in Harissa. The convent had originally been designed as a retreat house. Then the war broke out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/LibanoHermanaAnnarezaninos4-1024x682.jpg\")
Sister Anna prays with displaced children from southern Lebanon at a convent in Harissa, Lebanon, on May 25, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Micha\u0142 Banach, courtesy of ACN).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSharing a roof, a garden, and meals with the sisters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe sisters took in 14 families\u201441 people,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News. \u201cThey shared not only a roof over their heads, but also their garden and their food.\u201d One of the biggest ongoing challenges was the electricity supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon\u2019s national power grid operates intermittently, forcing many residents to rely on expensive fuel-powered generators. \u201cThe sisters could no longer afford the fuel,\u201d he said. ACN approved funding to expand the solar panel installation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Lebanon, there are nearly 300 sunny days a year,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cIt\u2019s better to make a one-time investment in solar energy than to constantly spend money on fuel.\u201d The panels now allow the convent to function despite overcrowding and economic collapse. Even if the displaced families eventually leave, the infrastructure will remain for the local Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The priest repeatedly returned to the same theme: Christians in Lebanon often feel trapped in a conflict that is not their own. \u201cIn the war between Israel and Hezbollah, they became millstones caught in the middle,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not their war, but they are its victims.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is weariness,\u201d Father Zelazny added to OSV News. \u201cBut there is also something deeper. Before our very eyes, the world of values has collapsed. International law no longer works in practice.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon's Slow Decline, but Faith Remains Visible <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHe spoke emotionally about the slow collapse of a country he loves. \u201cLebanon showed the world that people from different cultures and religions could live together,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd now all of this is being destroyed.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, amid the destruction, faith remains surprisingly visible. Pilgrims continue to gather at the shrine of Saint Charbel<\/a> Makhloufy at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, while the churches remain full despite the current instability.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nFather Zelazny said he had witnessed the same determination among Christians in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Homs. \u201cThose who remain persevere because of their faith,\u201d Father Zelazny said. \u201cWithout faith, this cannot be overcome.\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ordinary lives abruptly shattered<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\"The crisis is not measured solely in terms of destroyed buildings, but in terms of everyday lives that have been abruptly cut short,\" said the priest, who described his encounter with a displaced family from the region near Cana, in southern Lebanon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His father had worked in telecommunications for years before deciding to return to his hometown due to family health issues. He sold everything, bought a small store, and started over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe store had even started turning a profit,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News. \u201cNine months later, instead of a store, all that\u2019s left is a huge ruin.\u201d Now, two families share an unfurnished apartment with four girls, a young boy, and an elderly aunt. \u201cThey have practically nothing,\u201d he said. \u201cGarden chairs and mattresses on the floor are their only furniture.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many Lebanese Christians, the future has come down to a matter of survival. However, Father Zelazny said that the greatest danger is despair, especially among young people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe most painful thing is that, when you talk to young people, all they ask about is how to get a visa,\u201d he said. \u201cThey don\u2019t see a future for themselves in this country.\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\nChristian families create mosaics as part of a project to support displaced and vulnerable communities in Jounieh, Lebanon, on May 25, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Micha\u0142 Banach, courtesy of ACN).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nLittle freedom to enjoy the summer\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSummer vacation has already begun in Lebanon, but for many children and teenagers, the constant insecurity, airstrikes, and economic collapse leave them with little freedom to enjoy it. Many spend most of the day at home, with few safe places to go. \u201cWhat are young people supposed to do?\u201d asked Father Zelazny. \u201cThey stay at home, maybe visit their friends. Is it any wonder they just want to get out?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Church groups are trying to create alternatives. He pointed to youth programs led by Franciscans and supported by Catholic charities, including recreation centers where children can play sports, swim, or simply spend time together safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want \u201ca future, a normal life\u201d <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFather Zelazny said that Christians in the region need help \u201cnot just to survive, but to have a life.\u201d They want \u201ca future, a normal life,\u201d he told OSV News. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this reason, many of ACN\u2019s projects in Lebanon do not focus on direct aid, but rather on helping people earn a decent income. During his trip, Father Zelazny visited artisans who craft religious objects from cedar wood. Since Lebanon\u2019s cedars are protected, the artisans use only carefully selected branches obtained from routine pruning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christian artists in the country's Cedar Region<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDuring his trip through the Cedar Region of Lebanon\u2014which gave the country its national symbol\u2014Father Zelazny met several Christian artisans supported by ACN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight now, we\u2019re bringing in people who make items for us that we then sell, in order to help Christians who, with no tourists, simply have no way to survive,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News by phone on May 27 from Lebanon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local Christians who made rosaries, cedar wood carvings, and small religious souvenirs were suddenly deprived of this source of income when tourists disappeared from Lebanon as fighting broke out in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another initiative related to the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik<\/a>, a leading Lebanese academic center, Syrian students and refugees are working alongside a Syrian Catholic priest who is also an artist. Together, they create mosaics using stones imported from all over the world. \u201cA single icon can provide them with a decent livelihood for a month,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cWhy just give them money when they can work? They don\u2019t want charity. They want independence.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat same logic guided a recent project with the Greek Catholic Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who took in displaced families at their monastery in Harissa. The convent had originally been designed as a retreat house. Then the war broke out. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSister Anna prays with displaced children from southern Lebanon at a convent in Harissa, Lebanon, on May 25, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Micha\u0142 Banach, courtesy of ACN).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSharing a roof, a garden, and meals with the sisters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe sisters took in 14 families\u201441 people,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News. \u201cThey shared not only a roof over their heads, but also their garden and their food.\u201d One of the biggest ongoing challenges was the electricity supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon\u2019s national power grid operates intermittently, forcing many residents to rely on expensive fuel-powered generators. \u201cThe sisters could no longer afford the fuel,\u201d he said. ACN approved funding to expand the solar panel installation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Lebanon, there are nearly 300 sunny days a year,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cIt\u2019s better to make a one-time investment in solar energy than to constantly spend money on fuel.\u201d The panels now allow the convent to function despite overcrowding and economic collapse. Even if the displaced families eventually leave, the infrastructure will remain for the local Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The priest repeatedly returned to the same theme: Christians in Lebanon often feel trapped in a conflict that is not their own. \u201cIn the war between Israel and Hezbollah, they became millstones caught in the middle,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not their war, but they are its victims.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is weariness,\u201d Father Zelazny added to OSV News. \u201cBut there is also something deeper. Before our very eyes, the world of values has collapsed. International law no longer works in practice.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon's Slow Decline, but Faith Remains Visible <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHe spoke emotionally about the slow collapse of a country he loves. \u201cLebanon showed the world that people from different cultures and religions could live together,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd now all of this is being destroyed.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, amid the destruction, faith remains surprisingly visible. Pilgrims continue to gather at the shrine of Saint Charbel<\/a> Makhloufy at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, while the churches remain full despite the current instability.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nFather Zelazny said he had witnessed the same determination among Christians in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Homs. \u201cThose who remain persevere because of their faith,\u201d Father Zelazny said. \u201cWithout faith, this cannot be overcome.\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Little freedom to enjoy the summer\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSummer vacation has already begun in Lebanon, but for many children and teenagers, the constant insecurity, airstrikes, and economic collapse leave them with little freedom to enjoy it. Many spend most of the day at home, with few safe places to go. \u201cWhat are young people supposed to do?\u201d asked Father Zelazny. \u201cThey stay at home, maybe visit their friends. Is it any wonder they just want to get out?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Church groups are trying to create alternatives. He pointed to youth programs led by Franciscans and supported by Catholic charities, including recreation centers where children can play sports, swim, or simply spend time together safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want \u201ca future, a normal life\u201d <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFather Zelazny said that Christians in the region need help \u201cnot just to survive, but to have a life.\u201d They want \u201ca future, a normal life,\u201d he told OSV News. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this reason, many of ACN\u2019s projects in Lebanon do not focus on direct aid, but rather on helping people earn a decent income. During his trip, Father Zelazny visited artisans who craft religious objects from cedar wood. Since Lebanon\u2019s cedars are protected, the artisans use only carefully selected branches obtained from routine pruning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christian artists in the country's Cedar Region<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDuring his trip through the Cedar Region of Lebanon\u2014which gave the country its national symbol\u2014Father Zelazny met several Christian artisans supported by ACN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight now, we\u2019re bringing in people who make items for us that we then sell, in order to help Christians who, with no tourists, simply have no way to survive,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News by phone on May 27 from Lebanon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local Christians who made rosaries, cedar wood carvings, and small religious souvenirs were suddenly deprived of this source of income when tourists disappeared from Lebanon as fighting broke out in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another initiative related to the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik<\/a>, a leading Lebanese academic center, Syrian students and refugees are working alongside a Syrian Catholic priest who is also an artist. Together, they create mosaics using stones imported from all over the world. \u201cA single icon can provide them with a decent livelihood for a month,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cWhy just give them money when they can work? They don\u2019t want charity. They want independence.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat same logic guided a recent project with the Greek Catholic Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who took in displaced families at their monastery in Harissa. The convent had originally been designed as a retreat house. Then the war broke out. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSister Anna prays with displaced children from southern Lebanon at a convent in Harissa, Lebanon, on May 25, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Micha\u0142 Banach, courtesy of ACN).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSharing a roof, a garden, and meals with the sisters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe sisters took in 14 families\u201441 people,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News. \u201cThey shared not only a roof over their heads, but also their garden and their food.\u201d One of the biggest ongoing challenges was the electricity supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon\u2019s national power grid operates intermittently, forcing many residents to rely on expensive fuel-powered generators. \u201cThe sisters could no longer afford the fuel,\u201d he said. ACN approved funding to expand the solar panel installation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Lebanon, there are nearly 300 sunny days a year,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cIt\u2019s better to make a one-time investment in solar energy than to constantly spend money on fuel.\u201d The panels now allow the convent to function despite overcrowding and economic collapse. Even if the displaced families eventually leave, the infrastructure will remain for the local Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The priest repeatedly returned to the same theme: Christians in Lebanon often feel trapped in a conflict that is not their own. \u201cIn the war between Israel and Hezbollah, they became millstones caught in the middle,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not their war, but they are its victims.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is weariness,\u201d Father Zelazny added to OSV News. \u201cBut there is also something deeper. Before our very eyes, the world of values has collapsed. International law no longer works in practice.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon's Slow Decline, but Faith Remains Visible <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHe spoke emotionally about the slow collapse of a country he loves. \u201cLebanon showed the world that people from different cultures and religions could live together,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd now all of this is being destroyed.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, amid the destruction, faith remains surprisingly visible. Pilgrims continue to gather at the shrine of Saint Charbel<\/a> Makhloufy at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, while the churches remain full despite the current instability.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nFather Zelazny said he had witnessed the same determination among Christians in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Homs. \u201cThose who remain persevere because of their faith,\u201d Father Zelazny said. \u201cWithout faith, this cannot be overcome.\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Father Zelazny said that Christians in the region need help \u201cnot just to survive, but to have a life.\u201d They want \u201ca future, a normal life,\u201d he told OSV News. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this reason, many of ACN\u2019s projects in Lebanon do not focus on direct aid, but rather on helping people earn a decent income. During his trip, Father Zelazny visited artisans who craft religious objects from cedar wood. Since Lebanon\u2019s cedars are protected, the artisans use only carefully selected branches obtained from routine pruning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christian artists in the country's Cedar Region<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDuring his trip through the Cedar Region of Lebanon\u2014which gave the country its national symbol\u2014Father Zelazny met several Christian artisans supported by ACN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight now, we\u2019re bringing in people who make items for us that we then sell, in order to help Christians who, with no tourists, simply have no way to survive,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News by phone on May 27 from Lebanon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local Christians who made rosaries, cedar wood carvings, and small religious souvenirs were suddenly deprived of this source of income when tourists disappeared from Lebanon as fighting broke out in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another initiative related to the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik<\/a>, a leading Lebanese academic center, Syrian students and refugees are working alongside a Syrian Catholic priest who is also an artist. Together, they create mosaics using stones imported from all over the world. \u201cA single icon can provide them with a decent livelihood for a month,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cWhy just give them money when they can work? They don\u2019t want charity. They want independence.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat same logic guided a recent project with the Greek Catholic Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who took in displaced families at their monastery in Harissa. The convent had originally been designed as a retreat house. Then the war broke out. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSister Anna prays with displaced children from southern Lebanon at a convent in Harissa, Lebanon, on May 25, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Micha\u0142 Banach, courtesy of ACN).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSharing a roof, a garden, and meals with the sisters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe sisters took in 14 families\u201441 people,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News. \u201cThey shared not only a roof over their heads, but also their garden and their food.\u201d One of the biggest ongoing challenges was the electricity supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon\u2019s national power grid operates intermittently, forcing many residents to rely on expensive fuel-powered generators. \u201cThe sisters could no longer afford the fuel,\u201d he said. ACN approved funding to expand the solar panel installation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Lebanon, there are nearly 300 sunny days a year,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cIt\u2019s better to make a one-time investment in solar energy than to constantly spend money on fuel.\u201d The panels now allow the convent to function despite overcrowding and economic collapse. Even if the displaced families eventually leave, the infrastructure will remain for the local Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The priest repeatedly returned to the same theme: Christians in Lebanon often feel trapped in a conflict that is not their own. \u201cIn the war between Israel and Hezbollah, they became millstones caught in the middle,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not their war, but they are its victims.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is weariness,\u201d Father Zelazny added to OSV News. \u201cBut there is also something deeper. Before our very eyes, the world of values has collapsed. International law no longer works in practice.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon's Slow Decline, but Faith Remains Visible <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHe spoke emotionally about the slow collapse of a country he loves. \u201cLebanon showed the world that people from different cultures and religions could live together,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd now all of this is being destroyed.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, amid the destruction, faith remains surprisingly visible. Pilgrims continue to gather at the shrine of Saint Charbel<\/a> Makhloufy at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, while the churches remain full despite the current instability.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nFather Zelazny said he had witnessed the same determination among Christians in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Homs. \u201cThose who remain persevere because of their faith,\u201d Father Zelazny said. \u201cWithout faith, this cannot be overcome.\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That same logic guided a recent project with the Greek Catholic Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who took in displaced families at their monastery in Harissa. The convent had originally been designed as a retreat house. Then the war broke out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe sisters took in 14 families\u201441 people,\u201d Father Zelazny told OSV News. \u201cThey shared not only a roof over their heads, but also their garden and their food.\u201d One of the biggest ongoing challenges was the electricity supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lebanon\u2019s national power grid operates intermittently, forcing many residents to rely on expensive fuel-powered generators. \u201cThe sisters could no longer afford the fuel,\u201d he said. ACN approved funding to expand the solar panel installation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Lebanon, there are nearly 300 sunny days a year,\u201d said Father Zelazny. \u201cIt\u2019s better to make a one-time investment in solar energy than to constantly spend money on fuel.\u201d The panels now allow the convent to function despite overcrowding and economic collapse. Even if the displaced families eventually leave, the infrastructure will remain for the local Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The priest repeatedly returned to the same theme: Christians in Lebanon often feel trapped in a conflict that is not their own. \u201cIn the war between Israel and Hezbollah, they became millstones caught in the middle,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not their war, but they are its victims.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is weariness,\u201d Father Zelazny added to OSV News. \u201cBut there is also something deeper. Before our very eyes, the world of values has collapsed. International law no longer works in practice.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He spoke emotionally about the slow collapse of a country he loves. \u201cLebanon showed the world that people from different cultures and religions could live together,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd now all of this is being destroyed.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, amid the destruction, faith remains surprisingly visible. Pilgrims continue to gather at the shrine of Saint Charbel<\/a> Makhloufy at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, while the churches remain full despite the current instability.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Father Zelazny said he had witnessed the same determination among Christians in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Homs. \u201cThose who remain persevere because of their faith,\u201d Father Zelazny said. \u201cWithout faith, this cannot be overcome.\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSharing a roof, a garden, and meals with the sisters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon's Slow Decline, but Faith Remains Visible <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n