Remembering Gaza in Manresa

Prayer, pilgrimage and conversation were the hallmarks of an event hosted by the Manresa Jesuit Centre for Spirituality, Clontarf, Dublin, on the feast of the Epiphany, 6 January, 2025. Fifty people turned up on a day marked by sub-zero temperatures, to show their solidarity with and concern for the suffering children, women and men of Gaza.
The event was the second one organised by the Gaza Pilgrimage Team comprising Jesuits, colleagues, and members of AMRI (the Association of Major Religious in Ireland). They were was also marking the beginning of the Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Hope, with its theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Fittingly therefore, the day started with participants processing a number of times in silence and prayer around the labyrinth in the front field in Manresa.
After a welcome lunch of hot soup and sandwiches people gathered to watch, reflect and share on the fly-on-the -wall documentary film Budrus, about the non-violent resistance of a Palestinian village as the Israeli army attempt to take over some of their land, destroying their ancient olive trees.
One of those attending for the day was Fr Damien Farnon, chaplain with the Irish Defence Forces. He was on a tour of duty in Lebanon last year, due to return home in November, when the Israeli army invaded Southern Lebanon.
In an interview in the afternoon with Pat Coyle of Irish Jesuit Communications Fr Farnon shared his experience with those gathered. He began by giving a brief history of the country and its strategic position in the Middle East that led to it being made part of the French Mandate after World War 1, as well as being invaded many times by Israel and Syria.
He spoke about the flight of the people from Southern Lebanon to Syria after this most recent invasion and bombing. The Irish Defence Forces remained on the ground, facing the Israeli army, along with UN troops from other countries. But the local inhabitants had to flee, leaving many villages deserted except for the sick and elderly. Food and water was in scarce supply for all the defence forces until the offensive ended.
He noted the plight of the Lebanese people. Inhabitants of a beautiful country with wonderful produce and resources, they nonetheless are suffering economic hardship as well as violent intrusions. They are also host to one of the highest proportion of refugees per capita in the world and now their own citizens are fleeing as refugees to Syria.
The day concluded with a prayer service for peace, justice and an end to all violence in the Middle East. The dying and wounded in Palestine were prayed for, also the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas.
Each participant was invited to pick a sunflower seed and plant it in a pot, praying silently for their own intention. As water was poured onto the planted seeds a prayer of hope was intoned for all victims of war around the world that 2025 might be the year when their suffering would end and peace with justice reign.
A spontaneous collection at the end of the day, as suggested by one of the participants, saw €200 being raised to help UNICEF » and Medecin sans Frontier’s » work in Gaza.
Earlier last year the Gaza Pilgrimage Team organise a pilgrim walk during Lent from Miltown Park to Gardiner St Church »