Nun Stays Behind in War-Torn Southern Lebanon to Serve 9,000 Christians Amid Constant Danger

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-36 (NIV)

In the midst of ongoing violence in southern Lebanon, Sister Maya El Beaino, of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, has chosen to remain in Aid Ebel, just three miles from the Israeli border. Defying the constant danger, she ministers to nearly 9,000 Christians who have stayed behind in the region despite the armed conflict. Sister El Beaino told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that while many fled at the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, several families have returned, unwilling to lose their homes forever or bear the costs of living in Beirut.

Living conditions in the region are dire, with residents receiving only three hours of electricity per day and facing water shortages. Despite these challenges, Sister El Beaino’s congregation continues to operate the only Catholic school in the area, now teaching children from 32 surrounding villages online due to the conflict. The situation has triggered renewed fear, as residents still carry trauma from the 2006 war and worry that vital infrastructure like bridges and roads will be targeted again.

ACN has stepped in to support those who remain, providing food parcels to thousands of families and medical care to hundreds. Regina Lynch, ACN’s executive president, called for prayers for the people of southern Lebanon, the victims of war, and those displaced by the violence. She emphasized the need for peace and an end to the ongoing conflict.