Gaza: New priest joins Holy Family parish

Father Luis Esteban Montes, IVE

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Fr Luis Montes, of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, arrived on Wednesday, November 4th, 2026, at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, to serve as a vicar priest, joining the parish's clergy in their pastoral mission. His arrival brings the number of priests serving the Parish to three.

Fr Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest, expressed his joy at welcoming the new priest, announcing that the official reception will take place during this Sunday's Mass.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said: "We pray for Fr Montes new mission, asking the Lord to bless his ministry and guide him in his service to the community."

Father Luis Esteban Montes, IVE, was born on December 9, 1969, in Darregueira, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. He joined the Institute of the Incarnate Word in 1988 and was ordained a priest on June 29, 1996.

His missionary journey began in Artas, Palestine, in 1996. From 2003 to 2010, he served as Provincial Superior of the Middle East, based in Egypt. He then spent ten years in Iraq, where he served for five years as pastor of the Latin Cathedral in Baghdad, before becoming Vicar to the Latin Archbishop in Erbil, and later serving as the his secretary.

From 2022 to 2026, he served in Lebanon, where he founded a home for the elderly and people with disabilities.

He currently serves as parish vicar at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, under the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Father Luis speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and Arabic.