Religious sister stays in southern Lebanon to assist war-torn villages

By LiCAS News

Sister Maya El Beaino, a member of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, has decided to stay at the monastery of St. Joseph in Ain Ebel, located just three miles from the Israeli border, according to a report by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). 

“There are still some 9,000 Christians here in three different villages. We are in constant danger,” the missionary sister told ACN in a phone call. 

While much attention has been given to those who have fled due to the attacks, she emphasized that many Christians have stayed behind, driven by the fear of losing their homes permanently if they leave.

“There is no hospital in the area, no Red Cross, and we have only three hours of electricity a day. That means no internet, [and] no water!” she said. “In the last two weeks, they have increased a lot.” 

Despite the ongoing conflict, numerous families have returned to their homes after initially fleeing.

Sister Mary said many had left at the onset of the war in Gaza in October 2023, but rising living costs in Beirut and the emotional strain of being separated from family members who stayed behind in the South have driven several families to come back.

The violence has also disrupted education in the region. St. Joseph’s Convent runs the only Catholic school serving 32 surrounding villages. However, due to the airstrikes, in-person teaching had to be suspended. 

“They saw how Israel attacked two schools in Gaza. The children were not safe here,” said Sister Maya, who is the headteacher of the school.

“The situation is simply terrible. People are still carrying trauma from the war in 2006, and there is a big fear that bridges and roads will be bombed again—especially now that a ground invasion is being spoken about,” she said.

ACN reported that it has provided critical assistance to the embattled community, delivering medical aid to 1,200 residents who remain in Ain Ebel. 

In addition, the international Catholic charity has distributed food parcels to thousands of needy families across southern Lebanon, offering essential support amid the ongoing conflict.

“[We ask] that His love and compassion may touch the hearts of the warring parties, to inspire them to find peaceful solutions, so that justice and reconciliation may reign in the whole of the Holy Land and beyond,” said Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN.

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