Dozens of members of a church group from Salem, Massachusetts, have returned from Israel safely after their trip was disrupted by Hamas’ deadly attack.
Thirty-two parishioners from the Immaculate Conception Church had been in Israel to tour holy sites since the Friday before the attack, which has sparked on going war in the region.
“We are grateful and blessed to be back in Boston in the safety of our home and to be united again with our family and friends. We thank God for his goodness to us and for all the assistance, support and prayers from our family and friends and the people of our parish, the leadership team, the priests, and people of our Archdiocese and beyond,” said Rev. Robert Murray, pastor of the Mary Queen of the Apostles Parish, in a statement. “All the time we were there, whether in the immediate area of violence or the relative safety of Nazareth, to our brief stay in Amman Jordan, we knew from communication and confident faith that many were praying and helping us to return home safely.”
“At this time, we ask for some privacy so that we can reunite with our families, rest, and rejoin our faith community in prayers of thanksgiving,” he added.
President Joe Biden has vowed to support Israel following Hamas’ attacks this weekend.
People with U.S. and other foreign passports are stranded in Gaza. Some went to the Rafah border Saturday after officials announced they reached an agreement with Egypt and Israel to allow Americans to pass through safely between noon and 5 p.m.
But people who got word of this agreement from the U.S. State Department say they were there all day and nothing happened. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Cairo and expected to speak there Sunday.
People coming from Tel Aviv to Boston Sunday morning said local airlines like Delta are unreliable and keep canceling flights, while international airlines like El Al are doing a better job of making sure their customers get back home safely. Many of them say they could hear the Iron Dome missile defense system shooting down rockets while waiting for their flight in the Tel Aviv airport.
Members of the Salem church group were expected to share more about what they went through later Sunday. NBC10 Boston had previously spoken to parishioner Mary Martinez from Nazareth .
“We saw the missiles and explosions, but they were far from us,” Martinez said in Spanish. “We got out of there and yesterday evacuated to come here.”
“There are a lot of people panicking, and some don’t want to go outside,” she continued. “Most of us are calm, confident in God, that we will leave here.”
A Massachusetts family is trapped in Gaza amid imminent ground attacks from Israel..
The congregation had been in touch with Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Massachusetts, about their situation.
2023-10-15 14:37:02
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