‘Our presence is our mission’: Redemptorists from India remain in war-weary Lebanon
Many Catholic families are among the more than 1 million people who have taken flight to escape Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, many of them seeking in Beirut – Lebanon’s capital – which has also been hit by Israeli strikes.
As the war continues, three Indian Redemptorist priests continue their mission in Lebanon.
“Each explosion shakes our own house, breaks our windows, and reminds us that we too are part of this war,” said Redemptorist Father Binoy Mandapathil, Mission Superior of the Beirut-based Lebanon Mission Community, in a message sent to Crux Now.
“Yet our calling is clear: To remain close to the people, to share their pain, and to bring the light of Christ into the darkest places,” the Redemptorists’ statement says.
“At present,” the message says, “many of those most affected are migrant workers and refugees. They have lost jobs, homes, and security. With nowhere to go, they come to us.”
“We reach out to the most vulnerable, giving shelter, sharing food, clothing, and medicine, and offering comfort and prayers,” Mandapathil also says.
“The war has damaged our own buildings, but it has not broken our spirit. We believe that being Redemptorist means living the Gospel in the hardest places,” he says.
“Even in the ruins, we see signs of hope. We live as one family united in Christ. Faith becomes stronger when everything else is shaken. Our role is to keep that flame alive — to show that God is present, even in the midst of struggles and difficulties,” Mandapathil’s statement also reports.
Mandapathil is working with Redemptorist Father Shinto Moongathottathil and Redemptorist Father Lijo Velladathu.
“The situation in Lebanon today is very heavy,” Moongathottathil said in an account of the priests’ experiences shared with news outlets including Crux Now.
“Every day, we hear the sounds of war, and we see the fear in the eyes of those around us. Thousands of families have been forced to leave their homes, carrying only what they can hold. Schools and streets are crowded with people who have nowhere else to go,” he said.
Yet despite dangers in Lebanon, the three Redemptorist missionaries have chosen to stay.
Next door to the residence of the Redemptorists is the convent and house of the Missionaries of Charity, the women’s order founded by Mother Theresa to help destitute people and orphaned children.
The Redemptorists celebrate Holy Mass daily for the nuns, offer regular confessions and recollections as well as weekly Friday adoration and Sunday Mass for residents of the home.
“In a time of war, the Eucharist is our greatest strength,” Moongathottathil said.
“During this time of struggle we hold a special time of Adoration for the inmates and those living in the sisters’ care,” Moongathottathil said. “In that quiet hour before the Blessed Sacrament, the noise of the war fades away, and we find the peace that only Christ can give.”
Beyond the convent walls, the missionaries regularly visit families in the surrounding neighborhoods, especially those unable to leave their homes.
“Our mission also takes us into the heart of our local neighborhood,” Moongathottathil said.
“Even in the midst of war, we go out to visit families, especially those who are elderly or too sick to leave their homes. During a war, these people often feel the most forgotten.”
“When we visit them and give them Holy Communion, we are bringing them more than just a sacrament; we are bringing them the comfort of the Church,” he added. “We sit with them, listen to their worries, and pray with them. These visits remind them that even when the world feels like it is falling apart, God is still walking with them.”
Sometimes, he said, missionary work is not about large projects or dramatic interventions.
“Sometimes people think missionaries must always be ‘doing’ big things,” Moongathottathil said. “But we have realized that simply staying is the most powerful thing we can do. When people see that we have not run away, it gives them courage. It tells them: ‘You are not alone. God has not forgotten you.’”
“In the middle of this fear, we three Redemptorist missionaries have made a clear choice. We are staying,” Shinto said. “We are not just watching this war from a distance; we are living through it alongside the people. Many ask why we stay when it is dangerous,” he said.
“The answer is simple: Our presence is our mission,” Moongathottathil said.