A volunteer suggested saying mass with prayers for those dying of famine and suffering hunger in Gaza. It happened on Tuesday evening.

‘In Time of Famine or for Those Suffering Hunger’ were in the prayers of people who gathered at St John’s Church on the Falls Road.

Fr Martin Magill, before the mass for the people of Gaza, said he attended an earlier event at St Mary’s University College and heard from Dr Nick Maynard, a consultant surgeon who has regularly visited and worked in the strip.

“We heard harrowing first-hand accounts of what he had witnessed. He spoke of the deliberate execution of medical personnel—the numbers are staggering—and the systematic targeting of the very people risking their lives to save others,” Fr Martin said.
“Towards the end of his talk, he said: ‘We are witnessing the live streaming of a genocide in front of our eyes.’”

In his homily, Fr Martin said: “In Gaza we see the deliberate, systematic destruction of a people - by siege, by starvation, by relentless bombardment Not by accident, but by design.

“Not a tragedy of war, but a crime against humanity. The world is watching the slow, grinding destruction of a people - not by natural disaster, but by famine enforced through siege, blockade, and deliberate policy.”

Fr Martin added: “We gather tonight with the urgency of prayer, and an opportunity to support Medical Aid for Palestinians.
“John asks ‘If someone sees a brother or sister in need and refuses compassion, how can the love of God remain in them?’

“And we hear Mary’s Magnificat ‘He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty’.
“Mary is not offering a gentle lullaby. She proclaims the God who takes sides - who defends the hungry and confronts the powerful. So must we.”
Fr Martin said: “Just this week, we hear the Israeli security cabinet plans a full military occupation of Gaza - a final offensive into areas still filled with displaced civilians, crumbling infrastructure, and the last surviving hostages.

“Let me be clear: I acknowledge the deep suffering of Israeli families and I join the appeals for the release of hostages.
“But these plans - made despite international appeals - show that some within the Israeli government are hell-bent on going ahead.

“A choice that can only deepen the destruction - and make this genocide complete.”