News November 2025

 

                                                                                                                                                       November 7, 2025

Dear Family, Daughters of Charity, and Friends,

I am back fundraising for Gaza, as the situation there is so horrifying. When in the States in July and August, and after my return, I am only now able to begin again. As before, when we were a team going there, I will use our website to share the news every few months. I have just written an article about what the Pontifical Mission is doing there. They have been on the ground helping since the day the war began. We have complete confidence in them, as they have been supporting several of our houses financially here in the Holy Land for 30 years. Their reputation is clean, so the donations that I receive go to them for their projects. Below tells you what they have been doing since last August. They can reach thousands despite the situation. As you can see, they are very ecumenical in their approach to serving. We are proud of them. If you send me funds, it will go directly to them. Last week, I was in Jerusalem to deliver the thousand and four hundred dollars that many of you gave me for the very poor in Gaza.

The photos also show how professional they are, as those who receive donations have to sign. They are making a difference in Gaza.

 

 Pontifical Mission’s Service in Gaza:

September

  The Middle East Council of Churches, which is working in Gaza, received $117,000 to provide food for 1,000 families. The bags of food contained 17 items, including canned meat, as they have no electricity, and 90% have no homes to shelter them. This amount of food will last a week or 10 days, depending on how many family members there are. 

September and October

People needed tents after returning to their destroyed homes and having no security or shelter. Each tent for 8 to 12 family members costs $1,000. They were about to buy 17 tents for 17 families. The total cost was $17,000.

October

People needed clean drinking water, and the Orthodox Monastery provided it to families near them, as they had access to it. Yet they required solar fuel to power generators that pumped water to their homes. This project cost them $39,000. 

People were in desperate need of the basic items in Hygiene kits. AISHA is a women’s organization that has been working in Gaza for years. They have a good reputation and are local women who previously ran wonderful programs. We visited them on several occasions. They wanted to provide families returning to the North with these kits that cost 600 shekels each. They also provided psycho-social services to women and children.  

November

A Spanish NGO wanted to support a project in Gaza and asked the Pontifical Mission to find one for them. The Middle East Council of Churches again organized a program to provide new medical equipment for the hospital, which had been damaged and stolen over the years of the war. This equipment was desperately needed to save lives. This program cost $46,000. 

The Pontifical Mission wanted to give families some money because they had nothing, and many were starving. From their own budget, they provided financial support to 500 families. The total project cost $100,000. The families could provide the desperately needed medications, baby formula, and other supplies.

The Anglican Hospital had 200 burn patients it could not care for. Each case cost them $225. The total project cost $40,000.  The Pontifical Mission's main office in New York, called the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, sponsored this project for them.

You can see that the Pontifical Mission is very ecumenical, as it works closely with other religious groups to help people who are desperately in need of a wide range of assistance. They are well-known and have been running programs for the people of Gaza for years. They have been helping our houses in Israel for years, as their reputation is excellent. Not a shekel is wasted or pocketed that is given for the very poor. We are happy to collaborate with them. Be assured that the donations which you’ve given me and that I bring to them go directly to the neediest in Gaza.

If you want to send donations directly to the Pontifical Mission, I can provide their bank information. You can also send donations via PayPal; all you need to know is my email address. There are no costs, all is free via PayPal. If you want to send the donation directly to me for the Pontifical Mission, I can send you my bank information.

Love to each and all of you, prayers are included,

Susan

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Last news

 Dears friends,

don't think that I can give you any more news other than that which you can find on the news channel of the BBC from London. 

Donations that arrive, I continue to give to the Pontifical Mission, which is still able to serve the people. I talk bi-weekly to the parish priest, and he says that they are rationing the little food that they still have.

Your prayers are very precious at this time of famine and war there.

Sr. Susan

January and February 2025

 

January and February Updates 2025

 

Two days this week I spent in Jerusalem visiting the Patriarchate and the Pontifical Mission the first day and going to the Bank the following day. I just talked by phone to the Parish Priest to ask him to tell me the news from Gaza City.

Being that I continue to fundraise for them I was able to bring with me the funds that came in. When we as a team stopped helping in the south so did two of our major benefactors. Other sources have been found who want to help, so I do receive some financial help. We have had problems with using PayPal so I ask that any of you ready to help the poor of the south let me know and I will send you my account information which is used for helping them. My priority continues to be to feed people as long as it is needed to save lives this includes providing water and some medicines that are also life savers.

The Patriarchate has reached out to the many Lieutenancies of the Orders of the Holy Sepulcher around the world and they have been very generous. They have helped especially the Catholic/Latin Parish in Gaza City who houses 500 refugees. Among them are three priests and two sisters of the Word Incarnate and two Missionaries of Charity of Mother Theresa. Despite the hardships the people are courageous and intend to rebuild their city. The parish is able to reach out to many in need in their area of the city.

The Pontifical Mission is working in collaboration with the Patriarchate and they are reaching out to another group in need. They work with four other non-prophet organizations serving the two million and three thousand people left alive. They work with five local NGOs who serve both Muslim and Christian people. There are very few Christians and who live only in Gaza City.

Isha they have been working with for five years and know them well. They provide food packages for 1,120 families of the value of one hundred dollars. This is a non-Christian ONG. Their goal is to protect the rights of women and children with their headquarters in G. City. They also fled south when the people had to flee to the south of the strip. Their office were destroyed. It was in the El Amal building on El Wahad St. near where our bank was.

The Pontifical Mission also supports the Alaya Hospital that Ms. Suhiala directs. Medicines and medical supplies were provided them. This hospital was badly shelled several times during the war.

Spark who supports the Education of Children was also supported by Pontifical Mission. They provide psychosocial activities and also teach Arabic and English. 

The Society of women Graduates gives psychosocial intervention for 100 children and for 500 families. They also supply food parcels to 500 families.

The Al Ahli Hospital who was also seriously damaged several times in the war. This is an Episcopal hospital. Pontifical Mission provides for their outpatients mainly for minor injuries and for inpatients serving 200,000 individuals for all kinds of medical services and medicines.

When the people from the south came to see how their homes were destroyed one third of these people returned to the South of the Strip.

Just recently we have heard from the media of President Trump’s plans for this strip of land.

Fr. Gabriel said this morning that prayer will help as a future is ahead for this one million and three thousand people.

November 2024 News

 

November News

Sabah, who is the past director of our projects in the South, has given me the sad news that two families whom we helped have all been killed. We renovated their homes which needed proper bathrooms and kitchens. Maybe we did their windows, roofs, and flooring too. We feel so bad that these two large families are all gone. I don’t know the details of their deaths, yet know that it was because of the present war. Sabah lives now in Egypt with her husband and has regular contact with our friends in the South. 

Our team stopped helping the south at the end of October. It was a necessary and very difficult decision that we made last July. However, I have decided to continue helping by fundraising. After 28 years of making friends there and sharing their poor realities, I find that I do have the time to help if just a bit. The greatest need now is food, water, and medicines, but we can’t fund these items as they are not getting in. The trucks can’t get these items to stores or relief organizations. 

We’ve decided to help a refugee camp school of 150 students with the necessary school supplies. Sami, our last driver, asked us to help this school in his camp. We sent money to Sabah to transfer to a shop that has received school bags and other items that the children need for school. The school has five tents for five classes. The teachers, who were teachers before the war, come from the camp. They receive no pay. The children sit on the floor as there are no tables and chairs. Sabah received a receipt for the school supplies so we know that the money got to the shop and in turn to the children. We had enough money donated to give 120 of the 150 children the school bags with the school supplies inside. We hope that another benefactor will provide funds for the other 30 children. I will send you four photos of the children in their tent classes before we can help them with materials. Our past social worker, Wasel, continues to visit this school for us. She took pictures of the students receiving their new school bags and school supplies.  

Today rain has come and it is tragic. The sea has risen and has taken over all the many people in tents on the beach. Another overpopulated area is underwater also in this area of the South. These poor refugees have no place to find shelter from the rain. Sickness will surely follow due to the cold and the rain.

We all pray for peace especially as the Advent season nears.

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August and September 2024 News

 

Update for August and September 2024

 

I will continue to send you news every two months. This time I am late since it is already October and I am writing for August and September.

Recently I was able to talk by phone to Fr. Gabriel, the parish priest of the Latin Catholic parish of Gaza. He shared with me the situation there since I last wrote for June and July. I can add pictures at the end which show the need for water and food.

There are 400,000 residents in the north with shelling going on for almost a year now. People are killed and injured daily as they shell the whole Strip. They serve 2,500 families in the parish and also in the Orthodox parish which is not far from them. All are civilians. They also provide for the neighborhood Muslims and Christians. They are funded by the Latin Patriarchate. 

Sadly, there is little sign of a cease-fire. A cease-fire is critical because it would enable them to serve a large amount of food, water, and medicines. Many of the medicines for people with chronic diseases, like high blood pressure, cannot get in. They also need fuel for cooking. They cook three times a week for the refugees in their compound and neighbors outside their compound. Bags of food are also distributed every two weeks. They serve three meals daily to 2,500 people.

All are extremely tired as they cannot sleep nights due to the shelling.

The Pontifical Mission continues to serve the refugees in the north. They have a plan which entails working with other NGOs to serve more people. It will be attached here and is addressed to Al Omri who has been our main benefactor in the pre-war and post-war period. Much to our surprise, they too have decided to discontinue their Al Omri Relief Organization. Both our Daughters of Charity and the Al Omri emergency relief non-profit organizations regret that we are withdrawing from our assistance at this time of war. 

As we downsize, I am finding that I have the time to continue fundraising for them.  So I will continue despite my age and the current war in the north. Sabah, who ran our pre-war programs, is encouraging me with the help of our friends there who are refugees. We’ll see where this goes. May the Spirit lead us!

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Project: Gaza Emergency Response

 

Concept Note

 

Project: Gaza Emergency Response: Subsidize medical care, education and psychosocial support, food parcel distribution in collaboration with local partners in Gaza city and southern Gaza.

 

Submit to

Al Omri Kinderhilfe Palastina

 

Submitted by

Pontifical Mission for Palestine (PMP), Jerusalem

 

The war between Hamas and Israel – now passing eleven months, has decimated all of the Gaza Strip. Nearly 2 million people or 90 percent of the Gaza’s population are displaced from their homes, mostly living in tents or inadequate shelters. Months of living in unsanitary conditions, and no access to washrooms, lavatories, clean water and food has increased health risks and the spread of communicable diseases, especially among older age groups, pregnant women and babies. Efforts are underway by international humanitarian aid organizations to deliver food, medicine, WASH supplies and other means of support throughout the Gaza Strip. However, attacks and logistics are making it difficult to reach all those in need. Local institutions have reorganized and strategized ways to help deliver essential services to the population using stocked humanitarian aid and supplies available in the local market. With limited access to financial resources, institutions require the means to fund existing services to those they serve. Partner institutions in Gaza city and in southern Gaza have reached out to CNEWA – Pontifical Mission with requests to help them purchase additional supplies, cover salaries, operational costs that deliver and even increase, the services provided to the displaced, the injured and the traumatized.

PMP is launching a six-month emergency response plan that will financially back these partner institutions in Gaza city and southern Gaza between September 2024 – February 2025. The support will help these institutions on the ground continue to deliver medical service support to the injured and sick, enable children to have access to educational and psychosocial activities, support women and families in need and enable the continuation of food distribution to families without access to food.

Specifically, PMP’s response plan aims to collaborate with Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza city to deliver medical services to an estimated 1,200 inpatient and outpatients over a period of six months; partner with SPARK Association to deliver education classes and psychosocial support to 40 elementary schoolchildren in southern Gaza; partner with Society of Women Graduates who will support its network of 500 young women and 100 children in Gaza city, delivering psychosocial support and food for them and their families; and partner with AISHA Association to deliver food parcels to 1,000 displaced families and deliver psychosocial support for an estimated 6,000 children in southern Gaza.

PMP emergency response plan aims to reach 8,840 Palestinians including men, women and children who are displaced from their homes and have limited to no access to basic services in their areas.

PMP’s Emergency Response Plan with Local Partners, and the project descriptions, location and amount allocated for each project is listed below.

 

1. Al Ahli Arab Hospital: 

Ahli Arab Hospital is located in Gaza city and is operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East. After eleven months of war, the hospital continues to deliver medical services to the displaced, those who have sought shelter and seek emergency medical care in its inpatient clinic consisting of 50 beds which have extended to 80 beds, and outpatients service department in general medicine, surgery, Gynecology Obstetric, Urology, Orthopedic, Neurology, ENT and Pediatric services. It also has a laboratory and radiology department as well as a pharmacy and rehabilitation service center. The hospital continued to receive medical supplies, medicine and other forms of emergency assistance from humanitarian aid agencies, however the needs continue to be great. Al-Ahli Arab Hospital is one of only 7 hospitals operating in Gaza city and its surroundings. Currently the diagnostic services department is working overtime to assist people: to care for the wounded, traumatized, and those with burns and those suffering from infectious diseases and acute respiratory infections. The funds will be used to cover the costs of medical care for both outpatients and inpatients over a six month period. 

Location: Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza city, Gaza Strip 

Beneficiaries: 1,200 inpatient and outpatients 

Budget: $200,000

2. Spark for Innovation & Creativity:

SPARK is an innovation hub that provides Palestinian youth with inspiring, innovative and motivational activities that enhance their creativity and individual interests. SPARK believes that youth are an essential actor within Palestinian community development. SPARK adopts a participatory learning approach (PLA) in its activities that ensures youth involvement in their own decision-making.

Emergency assistance for Gaza project supported SPARK to deliver prepared food to those in need in early 2024.

With schools closed and limited access to educational activities in areas where SPARK is currently operating, it aims to launch a small-scale project titled, "Stars of Tomorrow: Education Now" that will provide comprehensive and supportive education activities within its network who have been affected by the ongoing conflict. The project will target 40 children aged 5-7 displaced in southern Gaza, addressing their educational, psychological, and social needs by creating safe, stimulating learning environments. There, the project will deliver activities that align with the Palestinian curriculum and incorporates global best practices six days per week with 3-hour sessions. Over six months, the project will also focus on curriculum development, staff training, and psychosocial support, involving families, teachers and local volunteers. 

Location: SPARK, southern Gaza. 

Beneficiaries: 40 children and their families, teachers and local volunteers 

Budget: $22,200.

3. The Society of Women Graduates (SWG) 

The Society of Women Graduates (SWG) aims to empower women graduates who face double marginalization and enable them to actively play a positive role in the development of the Palestinian community. As the only formally organized representative body for women graduates in the Gaza Strip, SWG thrives to improve qualities of lives of women graduates.With more than 49 years of working experience, SWG has forged many partnerships with international and local organizations in pursuit of its mandate and achieving desired change at the individual and community levels.

With the onset of the current war, the Society of Women Graduates had to reset its priorities to meet the current needs of young women facing very difficult circumstances. SWG seeks to support, empower and protect graduated women in the Gaza Strip especially vulnerable ones and those with special needs. Within SWG’s network of 500 young women and their families, nearly all are displaced and lack access to food. As a society that seeks to benefit women, empower them and through them, their communities, the Society of Women Graduates seek assistance to help provide women within its network (women located in Gaza city) food parcels to all members. Society of Women Graduates has also proposed to collaborate with 5 centers in Gaza city for the displaced, to offer psychosocial first aid, psychosocial activities and individual counselling sessions to 100 children. Many children are suffering from exhaustion, stress, anxiety while others have witnessed or experienced circumstances that require psychological support. The food parcels would be enough food for the children and their families. 

Location: Society of Women Graduates, Gaza city and southern Gaza. 

Beneficiaries: 500 SWG women and their families; 100 displaced children and their families 

Budget: $81,800 

a. $31,800 Psychosocial support (including food parcels for the children and their families) 

b. $50,000 Food parcels 

 

4. AISHA Association:

AISHA Association is a non-profit Palestinian women’s NGO that seeks to protect, support, and empower vulnerable women and children, as well as victims of violence by facilitating access to

protection and support services, child protection and MHPSS services including individual and group therapy and ensure that vulnerable communities and groups are protected. During the war, AISHA Association has been working in southern Gaza to help support the displaced and destitute. Its operations there have included psychosocial support and food delivery to people in need as they continued to struggle to secure daily necessities, leading to food insecurity and malnutrition. AISHA Association has developed a project to help alleviate these hardships by ensuring that affected communities receive essential food items as well as psychosocial support.

AISHA psychosocial sessions held in a displacement area in southern Gaza in cooperation between AISHA and CNEWA-Pontifical Mission in early 2024.

This project aims to provide essential food supplies to vulnerable families in the southern regions of Gaza, addressing the critical need for nutrition and support in the face of ongoing challenges. 

The project will focus on distributing food packages to 1,000 of the most vulnerable families, prioritizing households with children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.

Location: AISHA office and areas in southern Gaza

Beneficiaries: 1,000 families for food parcels; 6,000 children

Budget: $187,320

a. $100,000 Food parcels

b. $87,320 Psychosocial support

A table showing the estimated budget needed for the 6-month emergency intervention

No.	Partner	Program Cost  $	Euro Equivalent
1	Al Ahli Hospital	$200,000	€181,028
2	Spark Association	$22,200	€20,094
3	AISHA Association	$187,320	€169,551
4	Women Graduates	$81,800	€74,041
	Total for intervention	$491,320	€444,714
	Pontifical Mission contribution	$100,000	€90,514
	Third party contributions	$336,080	€304,200
	Al Omri Foundation contribution	$55,240	€50,000

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June and July 2024 news

 

Some important news to share!

With a heavy heart, I am announcing our termination of the Daughters of Charity Gaza Project on October 31, 2024. I will be 79 years old in a few months and my memory is not so sharp anymore, my energy level isn’t the same either. No one can take on this job of coordinating all as the other team members are working full time. I had always hoped that the Lord would keep it going by someone who would replace me. Yet his plans and vision are greater than mine. 

Our team met on July 7, and decided on the date of October 31. This means that we will finish giving amenities and salaries to our two women on this date. Donations that we have now and may keep coming in, will go to the Patriarchate which is providing water and food to hundreds of people since the war began. Alomri of Germany has been supporting the Pontifical Mission which is giving water and food daily. They have provided 80% of our annual budget for many years and I hope that they will continue to sponsor the Pontifical Mission. Our wonderful staff are dispersed. Sabah, who has been the director of our projects in G., is in Egypt with her husband. Wassel, our social worker, is a refugee, as well as all our friends. We have contact only with Sabah as she is out of the country. We feel very sad that our withdrawal comes at a critical time for the people. When peace comes, the people will have to start all over again with nothing. I encourage you to keep helping the starving in G. by offering your generosity to other reliable NGOs who can provide the basic necessities to people. We trust fully the two Agencies mentioned above who are helping Muslims, Christians, and all as they are our brothers and sisters in great need.

We four team members thank the Lord for the opportunity to have been in G. many times before the war. The poor have evangelized us. We thank God for those friends that we made and for those who helped us get food to families, often risking their lives during the cease-fire moments during the wars. They will still be a part of us in thought and prayer.

We thank all of you who have supported our efforts over 28 years to serve thousands in G  helping us to save lives and give quality of life to many. The Lord in His special way will thank you for all that you have made possible.

I will try to keep the website up to date until the end of December for all of you who want to keep up with the services given by the Pontifical Mission and the Patriarchate working in the two parishes. If you send us funding still by PayPal it will be sent quickly to one of these two relief agencies to give water and food to the starving. PayPal is free and you send your funds to my email address which is srssandpam@gmail.com It is sent quickly to one of the two relief agencies mentioned above.

June and July updates and photos

The Pontifical Mission which serves the homeless in the north is now giving water and food to over 1,000 people daily. Two parishes that are housing about 600 hundred to 700 people are continuing to do the same in the north. The north of the Strip continues to be the poorest region where the deaths from starvation continue for the weaker members of families. These are the elderly, babies, and the disabled. The refugees in the southern part of the Strip continue to be uprooted four to five times having to move to a designated area. With the constant shelling, these areas are not safe having suffered many casualties. Perhaps you have followed this in the news.

We do not need to continue to encourage you to pray for peace to come to this region of the world. May the Lord change hearts!

                                                                                                            Sr. Susan Sheehan DC

                                                                                                            June and July 2024

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May news from Gaza

 

May news from Gaza

Since we have linked our resources with that of the Patriarchate and with the Pontifical Mission I am sharing their news. They are right there on the spot feeding people.

The Patriarchate has a website which I am sharing with you now so you can check it out. They are is www.lpj.org and www.Vaticannews.va will also update you on things.

There are orders from the Israeli military for more residents of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to leave neighborhoods east of the city. The UN says more than 80,000 people have taken flight from Rafah this week alone. They are to evacuate ahead of a major offensive. Sam Rose from the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees says the area has no running water or proper sanitation. He said the latest evacuation is ‘extremely concerning’.

Rafah crammed with more than a million evacuated Palestinians, has been facing a worsening of the dreadful humanitarian crisis due to the lack of basic supplies, including water, food, electricity, and medicines. 

The UN agencies highlighted the severe crisis in Gaza and stressed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance remains as the war goes on.

Pontifical Mission has been addressing these needs. Photos of food preparation and packaging show you how they feed hundreds of people These are in their website. Photos taken by our friend who is a refugee himself also show the sadness in the peoples’ faces as they search through the rubble. You’ve seen on the media the people fleeing part of Rafah many for the third or fourth time.

Pontifical Mission continues to serve food to 150 food packages for 150 families (840 people) in Gaza City in coordination with the Patriarchate. Food packages include basic food supplies including 2 kgs.(4.4 lbs.) of wheat flour, Tahini, 1 liter of cooking oil, 250 grams (8 oz. of Halav (high calories count food), and canned olives that will last one week. 600 families receive two meals a day. Packages of food go to another 150 families. Rafah in the south receives food packages via the collaboration with AISHA for 400 families.

Food is scarce and very expensive. Tomatoes went from 4 nis to 100 is. Onions, from 3 nis to 80 nis. A kilo of meat, from 35 nis to 380 nis, an egg from 2nis to 10 nis…

Other items given are medicines water fuel (to cook with), hygiene kits, and cleaning materials.

The great generosity of many of you is keeping the most fragile people alive in each family. Fr. Gabrielle of Gaza said that they have lost already 25% of the Christian population through death and a few through emigration.

                                                                                           Sr. Susan Sheehan DC

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Informations Avril 2024

 

April 6, 2024

This month I hope to have some new pictures from some of our friends in the South. You are probably well informed by the media as the situation deteriorates in both the north and the south.

In March we had hoped to partner with Pontifical Mission which works in the north as well as the Latin Patriarchate. We have succeeded in doing this now. They serve 250 street people who did not flee to the South at the beginning weeks of the war with the majority of the refugees. They have been cut off from food and water for over a month. Maybe you have seen the various ways they have tried to get food to the population that remains there. Pontifical Mission who has an office and staff in this area has been able to do get them water and feed them for several weeks now. They are saving lives. We hope to continue helping them as long as our funding permits us to do it.

If you are following the news you have probably seen that when the Shaifa Hospital was taken over 300 people mostly children were found dead in the rubble that remained. Homes around the hospital were burnt with the residences within. Eight people who cooked for the World Central Kitchen were killed while traveling in a van, perhaps you have also seen photos of this reality. There is no quick end to this war and we hope that you have the means to help us. Your prayers are greatly appreciated so that a way is found for a peaceful solution for our brothers and sisters as they live through this nightmare.

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