A massive explosion left at least 100 people dead, 5,000 injured, more than 250,000 homeless and hundreds missing at a port in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday, August 4.
Those numbers are expected to rise as the search for survivors continues. While investigators are still looking into what triggered the explosion, it has been linked to a 2,750-ton stockpile of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical often used in fertilizer, that had been stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.
In Lebanon, Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group. The Lebanese Catholic community in Jacksonville came together Wednesday to pray for the people of Beirut.
Father Raymond Khallouf, pastor of St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church in Jacksonville, celebrated Mass Wednesday morning in for victims of the explosion.
“We are offering prayers in our daily Masses every day,” said Father Khallouf. “For the dead, for the healing of the injured, and for the many people who have no shelter.”
St. Maron Parish will continue to pray at Mass on Thursday at 6 p.m., Friday at 10 a.m., and Sunday morning during regular services.
About 100 Lebanese families are members of St. Maron, many of whom have friends or family who were affected by the explosion. Father Khallouf, who lost a friend in the blast, emphasized his congregation’s frustration with the leaders of Beruit.
“We all feel lost,” he said. “My congregation’s hearts are in Lebanon, but all they can do is pray. Pray that God can remove the darkness from the hearts of the government and pray for the people to find the light through Jesus.”
Below are some Catholic agencies where you can donate to help the citizens of Lebanon:
Catholic Near East Welfare Association, a Vatican agency
Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella organization for Catholic charitable agencies such as Catholic Relief Services, Development and Peace, CAFOD
Aid to the Church in Need, a pontifical foundation
Malteser International, relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta
Firefighters carry an injured man following explosions in Beirut. (CNS photo/Mohamed Azakir, Reuters) 
A man pulls his belongings along a street as he evacuates his damaged house in Beirut. (CNS photo/Aziz Taher, Reuters) 
Firefighters extinguish flames at the site the explosion in Beirut Aug. 4, 2020. (CNS photo/Mohamed Azakir, Reuters) 
Smoldering debris is seen in Beirut Aug. 5, 2020, following explosions the previous day. (CNS photo/Mohamed Azakir, Reuters)