Georg Gatt
Georg Gatt was a Tyrolean Roman Catholic priest and missionary, best known for establishing a parish and several institutions in Gaza, and his association with the Austrian Pilgrim [Hospice to the Holy Family] in Jerusalem, during the late 19th century.
Early life
Born in Nörsach, Austria, Gatt was ordained as a priest in 1867 in Brixen im Thale. He was appointed Vice-Rector of the Austrian Hospice in Jerusalem in 1871 by Joseph Othmar von Rauscher. In 1873 he became the headmaster of a boys' school in Jerusalem.Gaza
In 1879 Gatt moved to Gaza City, where he founded the Catholic parish "Zur Heiligen Familie" in 1887, focusing on pastoral care rather than proselytizing.Following a fundraising journey back to Austria, he purchased land in Gaza, where he built a large house, established a school, and endowed a chapel. He became a partner in two grain-steam mills located in Gaza and Ashdod, using the profits to support the local Austrian community and fund his ongoing work.
In 1887, he published a detailed map of the city.
After 30 years in Gaza, he returned to the Austrian Hospice in Jerusalem, where he died in 1924.