St. Louis religious leaders wait out Lebanon violence

ST. LOUIS -- The Rev. Lawrence Biondi, president of Saint Louis University, and the Rev. Andre Mhanna, a Lebanese rector from St. Louis, have been stuck in Beirut amid the intensifying violence there and are uncertain when they will be able to return.

Biondi and Mhanna, rector at St. Raymond's Maronite Catholic Parish in St. Louis, arrived in Beirut on Tuesday for what was planned as a two-week trip to Lebanon. The bombing began Wednesday.

"We didn't even really have a chance to breathe," Mhanna said by cell phone on Saturday.

Biondi was in Lebanon to give a commencement speech, which was postponed, at Notre Dame University and to meet various religious leaders.

Mhanna, 30, said he managed to leave their hotel Saturday to visit family, but that Biondi did not accompany him.

"We travel everywhere together, but not today," Mhanna said. "Now obviously it's escalating, and our plan now is to get back to the hotel and check on the parishioners and give them registration forms to register at the embassy."

He said about 15 other families from his church in St. Louis were also trapped in Lebanon because most travel has been blocked by Israeli forces.

The State Department said Saturday it was working with the Pentagon on a plan for helping American citizens depart Lebanon. The United States estimates 25,000 Americans live or work in Lebanon.

Israel imposed a sea, air and land blockade of Lebanon. It was targeting bridges, roads, the international airport and ports in response to a raid by Hezbollah militants into Israel that captured two soldiers and killed eight.

Mhanna said he was skeptical of an evacuation plan and that he had not heard anything from the U.S. Embassy about evacuating.

The Maronite Church, an old Eastern Rite branch of Catholicism, is based in Lebanon.

"There are thousands of people going to the embassy to register, and all we're told is to stay and hold on," he said. "There is no news from the embassy on when or how, it could be for security reasons, but it could be because the number is so large."

He said he has seen planes passing overhead on bombing runs, anti-aircraft guns countering from the ground and a naval blockage that has formed in the sea.

The Maronite Church, an old Eastern Rite branch of Catholicism, is based in Lebanon.

Mhanna said he felt fairly secure because he and Biondi are in a hotel in the predominantly Christian zone, which hasn't been targeted by the bombing. But, he said, he was concerned.

"I hope we will not be held as hostages until these countries get their interests worked out," he said. "We'll be strong. We have faith. We have Jesus. We are people of love. ... We trust the ability of our government that it will take into consideration our safety and security."