St Louis Priests Still Stranded in Lebanon

Rev. Andre Mhanna, the rector at St. Raymond's Maronite Catholic Parish in St. Louis and Rev. Lawrence Biondi, president of St. Louis University, are still stranded in Lebanon waiting for the U.S. to complete plans on evacuating Americans from the area.

Two St. Louis religious leaders who are stuck in Lebanon say they feel fairly secure and are going ahead with some of their plans despite what they see from the balcony of their five-star hotel.
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Several miles from Beirut, they can see planes passing overhead on bombing runs, anti-aircraft guns countering from the ground, a naval blockage that has formed in the sea and a nearly constant cloud of smoke over the airport.

Mhanna estimated that about 15 other families from his church in St. Louis are also trapped in Lebanon because most travel has been blocked by Israeli forces. Like the rest, Mhanna and Biondi don't know when they will be able to return to the United States. They are awaiting information from the U.S. Embassy. "It could be days," Mhanna said. "It could be months."

Fox News Talked with Fr. Biondi today. He said that they were waiting for the US government to arrange for safe passage home. He is confined to his hotel and said he felt like a prisoner there. He said he could understand what it must be like to be a captive or prisoner in war.