11 October 2023
ROCHESTER A group of Holy Spirit Catholic Church parishioners led by Pastor Tom Loomis was in Israel on a pilgrimage when a large-scale surprise attack by Gaza militants on the country left hundreds of Israelis dead.
The Rev. Msgr. Gerald Mahon, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, said Loomis was with a group of parishioners when the attacks occurred. The group has since passed into nearby Jordan and is safe. He said a trip to Jordan was part of the plan, and the group is planning a flight home from Jordan within the week.
“At this point, no intense danger,” Mahon said by email. “Just the normal danger of being in a country at war. They speak of being safe.”
A Holy Spirit member said there were about 29 people on the Holy Spirit church pilgrimage, but could not say how many were members of the church.
Mahon said another group of area parishioners was either enroute or landed in Israel during the time of the attack. The Rev. John Lasuba, pastor of Church of Christ the King in Byron, was also “participating on a pilgrimage,” Mahon said. They departed last Friday and would have landed in Israel on Saturday morning, about the time of the attacks.
The Byron church’s Facebook page relayed an email from Lasuba, saying they were safe.
“We’re okay, following our program,” Lasuba said. “This morning, we went to the original center of the Carmelites on top of the mountain. It was great. In the afternoon, we left to Nazareth and are staying with the Franciscan. We are at peace. Let people not worry.”
The unprecedented attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas from the air, sea and land on Saturday has left at least 900 dead in Israel, prompting Israeli leaders to call it their 9/11. Israel has declared war on Hamas and responded with a volley of retaliatory Israeli strikes on Gaza that killed at least 765 people, according to CNN.
As they retreated back into Gaza, the militants have claimed to have taken at least 100 hostages with them and have vowed to kill them if airstrikes Gaza without warning.
The multi-pronged assault took place as a nearby open-air music festival was taking place. The attack on the festival is believed to be the worst civilian massacre in Israel history with at least 260 dead and an undetermined number taken hostage. Video shows the festival revelers shot at point-blank range, CNN reported.
Israel’s defense minister has ordered a complete siege on Gaza, promising to cut electricity and cut off food and fuel into the impoverished home to more than 2 million Palestinians. The Israeli military has called up 300,000 reservists and has pounded Gaza with an aerial assault aimed at halting Hamas rockets toward Israel’s border towns.
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