Edited from an article by Marina Chaaya, Communication Officer, Lebanon (Province of Lebanon – Syria)
On August 4, 2025, Sister Micheline Latouf joined thousands at a commemorative Mass marking five years since the devastating Beirut port explosion. Her presence not only honored the memory of those affected but also expressed solidarity with the victims’ families and served as a reminder of the unwavering commitment of the Congregation to the people of Lebanon through their darkest hours.
When the explosion shattered Beirut on August 4, 2020, claiming over 220 lives and displacing 300,000 people, our sisters and partners-in-mission immediately mobilized. In those first chaotic days, they provided shelter for the displaced, food parcels for the hungry, hygiene kits for basic dignity, and medical support for the wounded.
Long-Term Recovery: Building Pathways to Independence
As months unfolded, the sisters shifted their mission from emergency response to sustainable recovery. They helped families rebuild not just their homes, but their entire livelihoods. By connecting people to vital resources and services, they empowered individuals to take steps toward stability and self-sufficiency.
Yet the needs remain pressing: more than 55 percent of Lebanon’s population continues to live below the poverty line, and economic inflation has reached one of the highest levels in the world at 270 percent.
In this context, the sisters continue their work through many vital services, including educational programs supporting 400 students at Good Shepherd School, social centers empowering more than 600 vulnerable women and children, shelter services protecting those fleeing violence and abuse, and free healthcare for 7,000 each year—amounting to 21,000 consultations annually—at the St. Antoine Community Healthcare Center (a stark increase from just 100 per month before the explosion).
With many survivors still carrying deep emotional wounds from that tragic August day, the sisters have expanded their focus on psychological and spiritual healing. Sister Antoinette Assaf, who leads the Good Shepherd Mission Development Office, explains that their approach is to be “The people we serve suffer from crushing poverty and enormous trauma. Yet, their faith and resilience humble me. As Sisters of the Good Shepherd, we offer them a variety of care and services, but what matters is the presence and listening that produce real change in their lives”.
Unwavering Advocacy and Hope
We continue to hope that truth and justice will prevail, and that the longing for accountability will finally be fulfilled. The absence of answers still weighs heavily on the country; however, recent developments have brought a measure of hope: Pope Leo XIV has sent a personal message of closeness through Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, investigation procedures have resumed with witness testimonies, and the destroyed grain silo has now been designated a national historical monument.
Our journey as sisters and partners-in-mission stands as a powerful testament to faith in action and love in service. Through unwavering dedication to our Good Shepherd mission, we show how even in humanity’s darkest moments, compassion can light the way forward.
Learn more about the work of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Lebanon and Syria here.
