St. George Parish in Qlaiaa and St. John the Baptist Parish in Sarda organized a day of loyalty, in cooperation with the Qlaiaa Municipality, to mark six months since the martyrdom of Father Pierre El Raai, and to honor his pastoral and humanitarian journey and his sacrifices in serving the people of Qlaiaa and the region. The event began with a requiem mass for his soul at St. George Church in Qlaiaa. The mass was presided over by Maronite Archbishop of Tyre Bishop Charbel Abdullah, representing Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, in the presence of Monsignor Jacob representing the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon Monsignor Paolo Borgia, who apologized for not attending due to travel; Qlaiaa Mayor Hanna Daher; President of Caritas Lebanon Father Samir Ghawi; parish priest Father Antonios Eid; assistant parish priest Father Ghassan Nasr; and a gathering of priests and nuns. Also attending were MPs Najat Saliba, Melhem Khalaf, and Fras Hamdan, former MP Antoine Zahra representing Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea, UNIFIL Eastern Sector Commander Spanish General Antonio Martinez, Lebanese Army 7th Brigade Commander Brigadier General Tony Fares, Beirut Bar Association President Imad Martinos, alongside mayors, mukhtars, political, party, military, social, and spiritual figures, the martyr's family, and a crowd from Qlaiaa. Abdullah After the reading of the Holy Gospel, Bishop Abdullah delivered a sermon recalling the virtues of the martyr Father Pierre El Raai, praising his dedication and sacrifices for the people of Qlaiaa and the region, and affirming that "his message will remain present in the conscience of the faithful." Bishop Abdullah read a statement on behalf of Patriarch Al-Rahi, affirming that "Father Pierre's martyrdom was not a loss or a weakness, but a testimony of faith and victory in the logic of Christ," citing the grain of wheat that dies in the earth to bear the fruit of life. He reflected on Father Pierre's virtues, describing him as "a courageous and frank priest, a lover of truth and loyal to his service and parish," considering that "his martyrdom turned him into a living witness to Christ, and his testimony will remain firmly anchored in the memory of Qlaiaa and the Church." He affirmed that "his blood did not go in vain, but became a seed for Christianity and a source of strength, growth, faith, and hope," stressing that "the people of Qlaiaa are proud of his martyrdom and of the cross he bore to the end." He concluded by affirming that "Father Pierre left behind a testimony of true love, because he laid down his life for his loved ones, and his memory will remain alive in the Church and in the hearts of his family and parishioners. Eid Afterward, parish priest Father Antonios Eid delivered a heartfelt speech, affirming that "the people of Qlaiaa stand six months later before the altar of the Lord carrying pain, but also faith and hope, because life is stronger than death, and God's love is neither extinguished by pain nor defeated by wars." He said: "Father Pierre was the priest and servant who loved his parish and his people, carried the people in his heart and prayer, and lived his priesthood as a trust, self-giving, and love." He addressed a message of loyalty to him, saying: "We thank you, Father Pierre, for every kind word you said, for every initiative with which you supported our hands, for every prayer you raised for us, for offering service to everyone who knew you, for every time you brought support and comfort to wounded and confused hearts, and for every seed of goodness you planted in this land." He added: "May your planting bear fruit and may your words echo in our minds, so that we continue proclaiming that we remain true to your word: We are staying, we are staying, we are staying." Father Eid thanked everyone who stood by the martyr's family, the parish, and the people of Qlaiaa over the past six months, including clergy, laity, military personnel, civilians, political, social, charitable, and educational figures, media workers, and media outlets. He specifically thanked President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun and the people of neighboring towns. He also thanked Bishop Charbel Abdullah, bishops, priests, and nuns from various churches, and the Apostolic Nunciature, conveying appreciation to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for his closeness and prayers. He concluded by praying for the repose of the martyr's soul, and for the people of Qlaiaa and Lebanon, calling for "stopping the war and bringing about a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace." Papal Nuncio For his part, Monsignor Jacob delivered the speech of the Apostolic Nuncio. Starting from the saying of Jesus Christ: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends," he considered that "the Christian view of death is not based on the logic of loss, but on the logic of self-giving and sacrifice." He said: "Father Pierre did not lose his life, but laid it down for his loved ones," recalling that, without knowing who was hit during the shelling, he set out to rush to the rescue and provide assistance. He pointed out that "Father Pierre made his life a gift for those whom he considered, in his faith, to be his loved ones," considering that "his death embodied the true Christian meaning of sacrifice, and became an example for every human being that death is not a loss of life, but the giving of life for the living." On behalf of the Apostolic Nuncio, he conveyed his warm greetings to the people of Qlaiaa, affirming his prayers, closeness to them, paternal support, and blessing. At the end of the mass, holy water was sprinkled on a commemorative plaque for the martyr Father El Raai, drawn by parish member Juan Carlos Semaan. In the church hall, the anthem "We Are Staying Here, Staying" was played, inspired by the words and personality of Father El Raai, in a session that evoked the phrase that became a title for steadfastness and rootedness in Qlaiaa. Speech of the President of the Republic A speech was also read on behalf of the Director General of Protocol and Public Relations at the Presidential Palace, Dr. Nabil Chedid, delivered by MP Melhem Khalaf. He conveyed the condolences and sympathy of President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun to the martyr's family, St. George Parish, and the people of Qlaiaa, asking God to "envelop the martyr in His mercy, bestow eternal life upon him, and grant his family and the people of his town strength and patience." Daher Qlaiaa Mayor Hanna Daher delivered an emotional speech in which he affirmed that "six months were not enough to get used to the absence of Father Pierre, because some people when they leave leave a vacuum, while others leave behind a presence greater than absence." He pointed out that "Father Pierre chose to stay alongside the people of Qlaiaa in the most difficult days, when leaving was easier and fear was greater than words, because he believed that a priest does not abandon his people, and that the land which gave him his life deserves that he stay by its people's side." He affirmed that naming a street in Qlaiaa after Father Pierre El Raai is not merely a naming, but a memory, loyalty, and a pledge to future generations, pointing out that "the children of Qlaiaa will ask one day: 'Who is Father Pierre?' And the answer will be: 'He was one of us, our priest, our father, our brother, our friend, a man of faith and love, and above all, the martyr of Qlaiaa.'" Daher stressed that "the most beautiful loyalty to Father Pierre is preserving what he believed in: Qlaiaa, its people, its faith, its land, and its roots, and remaining attached to them no matter how severe the difficulties become." Addressing the martyr's family, he said: "Their son did not leave alone, but left behind a large family called Qlaiaa, and left a name that will remain present in the town's heart and memory." He concluded by affirming that "Father Pierre has become part of Qlaiaa's history, and the town that he loved and served will never forget him. Martyr's Family Alondra El Raai, the martyr's cousin, delivered a speech on behalf of Father Pierre's family, expressing the family's feelings and gratitude to everyone who stood by them, recalling the martyr's journey, his memory, and his standing in the hearts of his family and townspeople. Following the speeches, a documentary film was shown covering milestones from the life of the martyr Father El Raai and his priestly and humanitarian journey, recalling images and memories from his life and his service to his parishioners and the region. The day of loyalty concluded with the unveiling of a street named "Martyr Father Pierre El Raai Street," in a symbolic step affirming that his name will remain present in the geography and memory of Qlaiaa. St. Peter's Shrine was also consecrated, concluding the occasion with a spiritual and national event carrying a single message: that Father Pierre El Raai departed in body, but remained present in the Church, in the land of Qlaiaa, in the hearts of its people, and in the words he left as a legacy to its children: "We are staying, we are staying, we are staying."