Carrying the cross for Gaza

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Above: Fr. Fred Daley prepares to bless an olivewood cross for parishioner Talia Criollo

By Dc. Tom Cuskey, editor

The storyline is well-known. On October 7, 2023, Hamas, a Sunni Islamist group, launched deadly surprise attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip. According to the most recent report from the Congressional Research Service, more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including at least 35 American citizens were killed. Some 250-plus hostages were seized in the attacks. The Israeli Defense Force responded with military action that continues today in the Gaza region. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed. 

Caught in the middle of this conflict are innocent citizens. An estimated 1.7 million people have been displaced in Gaza. The U.S. and other countries have responded with ongoing attempts to bring needed humanitarian aid to the region. 

A Syracuse area parish, All Saints Church, has engaged in a fundraising effort that parish leadership hopes other churches and groups may also want to adopt, with the goal of financially helping these citizens.  

Paul Welch, the diocesan director of Social Action Ministry, visited the Holy Land in 2009 and again in 2018 where he developed a relationship with artisans of the Holy Land Handicraft Society or HLHCS for short. These craftspeople work in ceramic and other materials but are probably best known for carved products made from native olivewood, especially crosses.

“I helped them in the process there for a long time,” Welch said. “And then we kind of consolidated that connection into just wood crosses.” The artisans do sell their products worldwide, but a major portion of their livelihood is derived from tourists visiting Israel. However, all aspects of their business model have been affected.

Carrying the Cross

A Jesuit volunteer with some of the children from All Saints’ African community.

Welch said these wooden crosses have been gifted to some recent graduates of the diocesan Formation for Ministry program. Now, he sees a correlation between local ministry and support for those affected by the fighting, symbolized in the crosses. 

He shared his idea of carrying on your person one of the crosses “made by and large by [these] Christian artisans” to provide a tangible reminder to the bearer of the need to pray and support the people affected by the intense fighting. The crosses are small enough to fit in the palm of the hand and are easily carried in a pocket.

“We made these crosses available initially on Palm Sunday with Paul’s help,” said Meg Ksander, pastoral associate at All Saints. “So, part of what we did with our community was to have people journey through Holy Week with this little reminder of carrying the cross.” 

At the heart of the effort is a reminder for people to reconnect with the Gospel mission of non-violence and reconciliation. A monetary donation for each cross signifies a message of charitable support for those affected. 

Father Fred Daley, pastor of All Saints, said that “work on behalf of justice is central to the Gospel,” and as such, is their parish mission. “We as a parish have been journeying with the people.”  All Saint’s is providing the crosses and donations received will be split equally, with half going to support the crafters in the Holy Land and half designated to support Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work in Gaza. 

“Catholic Relief Services is one of the strongest global outreach [organizations] in Gaza at the present time,” Father Daley said. “So, we encourage our parishioners to carry the cross in their pockets to just remind ourselves that we’re in solidarity with those who are dying in war in Gaza, Israel, Ukraine. Wherever people are suffering and bleeding and dying, Jesus continues to suffer the passion.”

For more information on becoming involved in this effort, contact Paul Welch at [email protected] or Cell: (315) 256-8613

Those wanting to know more about Catholic Relief Services efforts can click this link:

https://support.crs.org/donate/help-where-its-needed-most?ms=agicrs021910500fdt00