Clerics Tell of Ritual and Danger Under Siege
A day after an Armenian monk was shot, apparently by an Israeli sniper, priests living inside said they were well aware of the danger. When Greek Orthodox monks leave their monastery to enter the church, they must cross an open-air courtyard inside the complex, Father Parthenios said. The younger monks do not allow the eldest one — a slow-moving 82-year-old — to make the journey because they fear he could be shot by Israeli snipers. When the younger monks make the trip, they rush.

Explosions and gunfire regularly surround the church, the monks said. And today a whiff of tear gas blew in. But those inside are far from cut off from the world. Although Israeli forces have cut off water and electricity to the church itself, parts of the rest of the compound have electricity, allowing those inside to recharge cellphone batteries and call family members.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/12/international/middleeast/12BETH.html