parishioners

It is home to dozens of parishioners who live on the monastery’s compound.

On a recent Sunday at Santo Domingo de Guzmán Roman Catholic Church in the capital’s Baruta district, Father Leonardo Marius urged parishioners to ignore the drumbeat of war pounding the airwaves and internet.

Priest Nicholas Cragle, an American who recently moved to Alaska after living in Russia for seven years, says the conflict is "particularly painful and close to the hearts" of parishioners.

He said the parishioners who witnessed the attack then called the emergency services, describing it as an "absolute shock" for those who saw the "terrible event".

Gomez’s announcement of the assistance program comes after Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino issued a dispensation allowing parishioners fearful of deportations to stay home rather than attend Mass.