Members of Gaza’s tiny Christian community said they were “heartbroken” at the death of Pope Francis, who campaigned for peace for the devastated enclave and spoke to them on the phone every evening throughout the Israeli onslaught, reports Reuters.

“We lost a saint who taught us every day how to be brave, how to keep patient and stay strong,” 44-year-old George Antone, head of the emergency committee at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, told Reuters.

Francis called the church hours after Israel’s offensive in Gaza began in October 2023, Antone said — the start of what the Vatican News Service would describe as a nightly routine. He would make sure to speak not only to the priest but to everyone else in the room, Antone said.

“He (Pope Francis) used to tell each one: I am with you, don’t be afraid.”