Pray for peace

Pray for peace

Fr Gabriel Romanelli of Gaza, speaking in Glasgow, joined Pope Francis’ appeal for peace.

Pope Francis has appealed for prayers during May to end the suffering in Gaza.

“It is with concern and also with grief that I am continuing to follow the situation in the Middle East,” said the Pope.

“I renew my appeal not to give in to the logic of vengeance and war. May the paths of dialogue and diplomacy, which can do so much, prevail.

“I pray every day for peace in Palestine and Israel, and I hope that these two peoples may stop suffering soon.

“And let us not forget martyred Ukraine, the martyred Ukraine which suffers so much because of the war.”

Fr Romanelli said: “The situation is very bad.

“Since the beginning of the war, we have lost 25% of our community because some Christians emigrated and 33 have died. Twenty were killed by the IDF and 13 died for reasons including lack of medicine.

“On top of the 1,200 people killed in the terrible events of October 7th, more than 34,000 peole have been killed inside the Gaza strip. It’s a tragedy this war. One more week, one more day is not the solution. We repeat the request from the Holy Father Pope Francis for a ceasefire. We ask for a ceasefire and the liberation of all hostages and for help for the thousands and thousands of injured, the majority of whom are women and children.”

Gaza priest’s heartfelt plea to Scots: ‘Help us end the horror – it’s nearly hell’

By Ronnie Convery

Our lives are nearly hell… that was the stark and tragic message of Fr Gabriel Romanelli, the Parish Priest of Gaza’s only Catholic community during a memorable visit to Glasgow.

Fr Gabriel carried out a series of harrowing press interviews, before speaking at a special event held in the Royal Concert Hall – a location chosen because of the huge number of people who wanted to be present.

Then it was on to St Andrew’s Cathedral for 1pm Mass with Archbishop Nolan and priests of the Archdiocese and beyond who concelebrated in solidarity.

Speaking at the Cathedral, Fr Gabriel said: “Our lives are nearly hell. Not quite hell only because Jesus is always present with us in the Eucharist.”

Earlier the Gaza priest, who has been unable to get back to his flock since the Hamas massacres of October 7, urged Scots to do three things to help his people.

He said: “The first thing I ask is your prayers. Pray that this terrible war might come to an end. Secondly I ask you to speak about what is happening with wisdom and charity. Don’t over-simplify it. Urge those in positions of authority to do what they can to being peace as soon as possible. And thirdly support us with aid, as SCIAF and the other Caritas agencies are doing. We need literally everything… water, food, medicines… everything.”

Fr Gabriel told his audience in the Concert Hall: “This war has cost the lives of 34,000 people in Gaza so far… men, women and children, not forgetting the hundreds of Israeli and foreign citizens who died in the attacks on October 7.

“In Gaza itself we have 77,000 wounded people. Of them 8000 need urgent intensive care to save their lives but they are not permitted to cross the border to get to specialist hospitals.

“And we do not forget the hostages who were taken that first day. We pray for their liberation. For us every person is important without distinction of race or religion.”

Mystery solved: now Francesco has a proper place of rest

A priest blessed a grave in a Girvan cemetery last month surrounded by the deceased’s family and diplomatic, civic and foreign dignitaries.

The same grave had been blessed by another priest 83 years earlier, but on that occasion there were no witnesses… the plain coffin of Francesco D’Inverno was lowered into common ground, without even a simple cross to mark his grave.

The story of the discovery of his final resting place is intricately linked to the Italian Cloister Garden next to St Andrew’s Cathedral where Francesco’s name is listed among those who died in the Arandora Star tragedy.

The ship, carrying mainly Italian civilians who had inadvertently found themselves classed as ‘enemy aliens’ after war was declared, was torpedoed and sank 75 miles west of Donegal on 2 July 1940. Of the 442 Italian men who died only 22 bodies washed ashore were ever identified, in Ireland and the western isles.

The one body washed ashore on the Scottish mainland, was that of Francesco D’Inverno, whose remains were discovered by a nine year old boy playing on a beach near Girvan one day in August 1940.

In an extraordinary twist of fate, that boy, Sandy Ferguson, died in September last year aged 92, just hours after having been told the story and been shown a photo of the man whose body he had found 83 years previously.

The extraordinary story began when Michael Donnelly, a member of the Italian Garden Improvement Group working on a project with Roberto Lucherini and Ralph Gonnella, launched a campaign to find photos and mini biographies of each of the men named in the Cathedral Cloister Garden plaque. He discovered that Francesco D’Inverno was buried at Girvan’s Doune Cemetery. With the willing help of South Ayrshire’s Provost, Iain Campbell, local volunteers Lorna and Richie Conaghan and council staff they were able to pinpoint exactly where Francesco had been laid to rest.

Funds were raised to commission a headstone to mark Francesco’s final resting place. This was unveiled last month at a special service to remember Francesco and all of the victims of the Arandora Star. Present at the grave were 20 members of Francesco’s family who made the journey from their home in Kent to attend along with 150 others.

South Ayrshire Provost, Iain Campbell, said: “When I received an email out of the blue last year I was immediately intrigued and wanted to help. Lorna and Ritchie Conaghan run a local project dedicated to carrying out detailed research work in this area, so I knew they would be the best people to contact to try to establish where Francesco was buried.

“I’m glad to see a fitting tribute now in place to forever mark Francesco’s final resting place. It’s been an honour to have played a role in his story and to be able to pay my respects to him and the many others who perished following the torpedoing of the Arandora Star.”

Ralph Gonnella, who lost his grandfather in the tragedy and chairs the Italian Garden Improvement Group, said: “Most importantly the discovery of Francesco’s resting place brought closure to his family, who until last year were still of the belief that he was lost at sea. It was so special to have them with us at last to see his gravestone unveiled and his grave blessed.”

More information about the Arandora Star and Francesco D’Inverno is available in ‘Finding Francesco’ blog at www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/article/60472/Finding-Francesco

Shock and sorrow as bishop-elect of Dunkeld dies at 59

By Ronnie Convery

It was with deep shock and sorrow that Archbishop Nolan learned last month of the death of one of his former priests, Fr Martin Chambers of Galloway Diocese, who was due to be ordained as Bishop of Dunkeld on 27th April.

Fr Chambers died in his sleep, aged just 59, just 17 days before he was due to be ordained bishop.

Fr Chambers was educated in the Royal Scots College in Spain, and had experience in Ecuador as a missionary priest. Various appointments as pastor, school chaplain and diocesan responsibilities in Galloway diocese then followed before his nomination as Bishop of Dunkeld.

Just a week before his death Fr Martin had travelled to Lourdes ahead of his ordination as a bishop to pray for his new diocese.

Archbishop Nolan said he was shocked and saddened at the news. He added: “Martin’s death is a huge loss not only to his own diocese, and the diocese of Dunkeld where he had been appointed bishop, but for the whole Catholic Church in Scotland.

“When I was Bishop of Galloway I knew him well – a great priest, always welcoming, friendly, with a good sense of humour who worked so hard for his people.

“My thoughts and prayers are with his family and those whose lives he touched during these years of priesthood.”