Invitation to the exhibition opening Gaza Beyond the Headlines

On Wednesday, 1 October, from 5 p.m., a ceremonial opening of the photographic exhibition Gaza Beyond the Headlines will take place at St. Cajetan Church in Nerudova Street, operated by Archdiocesan Caritas Prague. The event will coincide with a mass in honour of the church’s patron saint, St. Cajetan, celebrated by bishop Václav Malý. The bishop will also introduce the exhibition and offer a personal reflection on its message.

Over the course of six weeks, the exhibition will be presented at several locations in Prague and Brno. It invites visitors to look beyond the headlines and explore everyday life in Gaza, particularly the stories of those receiving care at the clinic that Caritas Czech Republic supports. Through authentic photographs taken by a local photographer, the exhibition reveals the faces and lives behind the statistics.

The connection between the exhibition’s theme and St. Cajetan is intentional. In the 16th century, he advocated for the care of the poor and those suffering from the plague, and is considered a founder of hospitals for the incurably ill. Hosting the exhibition in his church honours this legacy: today, Caritas continues this mission by standing with those in need, recognising their humanity, and refusing to reduce them to mere numbers in media reports.

The clinic project is a collaboration between Caritas Czech Republic, Caritas Jerusalem, and the Palestinian organisation Sawa, which provides crisis line and psychosocial support in Gaza. The initiative is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The photographs were taken in Gaza in August of this year.

The exhibition bears witness to courage and hope amid hardship. It is important to note, however, that the situation in Gaza has significantly worsened since the photographs were taken, and the humanitarian crisis has deepened.