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JERUSALEMn e w s l e t t e r

l o v e t h e h o l y l a n d a n d b e l o v e d

Latin Patriarchateof Jerusalem

www.lpj.org

P.O.B. 14152

Jerusalem 91141

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LATIN PATRIARCHATE PRINTING PRESSBEIT JALA – 2012

EditorialNumber 14

may 2012

Where God weeps

God is weeping over the world as Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Today it is no longer over Jerusalem that the Lord is weeping, but on the whole world. And with Him his children are weeping.

In Italy, where God weeps, earth still trembles in Emilia Romagna and our prayers are with the Northern Italians; a region so dear to the Latin Patriarchate where many Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem live.

In Syria, where God weeps, the Hula massacre claimed 108 civilians’ lives on May 26th. Benedict XVI expressed “sorrow” and “extreme concern”. The Holy See renewed “its call for the cessation of all forms of violence and urges all interested parties and the international community to spare no effort to resolve the crisis through dialogue and reconciliation.” The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem decided to launch a call for an intense prayer. “So far diplomatic efforts have failed; we need a supernatural force that comes from God.”

In the Holy Land, where God weeps: Tel Aviv, May 23. Originally, a political gathering that went wrong turned into a racial riot. Hundreds of demonstrators demanding the expulsion of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers attacked shops and African drivers. Dozens of people were arrested. Estimated at about 60,000 by the authorities, the illegal immigrants come mainly from Eritrea and Sudan. The presence of migrants in the country is unfairly and increasingly linked with insecurity. The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land issued a statement regarding these events voicing “a cry of anguish and distress after incidents of violence on

those who arrived in Israel, seeking political asylum by fleeing war, violence, famine and misery.” Many Christians are victims of these attacks. Recognizing the sovereign right of Israel to implement policies and laws that regulate the inflow of foreigners on its territory, the Ordinaries remind that “these policies and laws must be made responsibly and in accordance with procedures. In addition, they must respect the international conventions that protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, guarantee human rights and respect for the human person, upholding international law.”

The ACOHL recalls that this land is also the Holy Land, and it is called to a special vocation for justice, peace and hospitality in the spirit of our common father, Abraham. “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” (Heb 13:2). We will not be judged on our faith, our practices and our prayers, but on the shared love without borders, the love that joined primarily those who need it most, the love that announces the kingdom, the love that continues the mission of Jesus, who calls the Holy Spirit the “Comforter”.

Christophe Lafontaine

African Community in the Holy Land – 2012Pentecost in St. Peter-in-Gallicantu

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Blessing of newBenedictine monastery in Tabgha On the Solemnity of the Ascension, May 17, 2012, Cardinal Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne and President of the “Deutscher Verein vom Heiligen Land”, blessed the new Benedictine monastery in Tabgha. The following concelebrated at the Mass, H.B. Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah, and Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Israel. Also present were Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio in Israel, Archbishop Boutros Mouallem, Bishop Kamal Bathish and Abbot Gregory Collins of Dormition, and the previous Abbot, B. Lindemann and the Abbot of the “Monastery of the Scottish” in Vienna. The ceremony concluded with benediction inside and outside the monastery, especially in the chapel where the Cardinal also blessed the altar. All saw a particularly symbolic moment when the architect handed over the model of the new monastery to Cardinal Meisner, who in turn gave it to Abbot Gregory Collins. The Tabgha Benedictines, who depend on the Dormition of Jerusalem, settled here in 1939 and built their monastery in 1952-54. Brittle and crumbling, it had become too narrow. It was absolutely necessary to think of a new monas-tery, more secure, spacious, and well suited to the needs of a monastic life. The planning lasted five years and on February 27, 2007, the same Cardinal Meisner and Patriarch Sabbah were able to bless the first stone of the new monastery.

From our correspondent in Galilee

P a G e 2 n e w s l e t t e r — J ERUSALEM

At the Salesian Sisters the NewEvangelization in progressOn the afternoon of Sunday, April 29, Patriarch Fouad Twal visited the com-munity of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Jerusalem. An oppor-tunity, on the part of the Patriarch, to encourage the “Jerusalem Project”, the idea of a biblical retreat that con-tributes to the New Evangelization.

Patriarch Twal graduates12th group of General Secondary School students in GazaDuring an official ceremony, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, graduated the 12th group of students from the Holy Family General Secondary School in Gaza as he does at the end of each year.

Ecumenical prayer of solidaritywith prisoners at St. StephenOn May 8, 2012 in the St. Stephen ba-silica in Jerusalem a special ecumeni-cal prayer took place, as a sign of solidarity with prisoners in Israeli jails that call for respect of their rights.

Conference promoting Lifefor priests of the PatriarchateOn Tuesday, May 15, 2012, the priests of the Latin Patriarchate, gathered with His Beatitude Patriarch Fouad Twal for the customary monthly re-treat, had the opportunity to listen to the presentation of Dr. A. Ligaya Acosta, very committed to defending life, centered on some questions of bioethics.

Two Christians in the new Pales-tinian GovernmentWednesday, May 16, a new Palestinian government headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was sworn in. There are two Christian ministers: Nabil Qassis as Minister of Finance and Rola Ma’aia Bandak as Minister of Tourism.

Cardinal Koch’s Holy Land visitCardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, visited the Holy Land. On Wednesday, May 23, the Latin Pa-triarch who met him earlier in the day, in the evening delivered a welcome speech in order to encourage the Council for Christian Unity to estab-lish greater contacts with the Church of the Holy Land.

400 youths runfor Peace in Maritime Caesarea Maritime Caesarea – On May 12-13, for 24 hours, was held the third edition of the world relay race for the Peace and the Fraternity. This initiative was organized by Juniors for a United World (the youth of the Focolare Movement). Hundreds of thousands of youth, between 13 and 17 years, from every social condition, from different cultures, countries and religions ran across the whole world. An active way to testify to their commitment to peace and unity. Since 2005 and 2008, Run4unity reached its third moving edition this time in 180 cities. In the Holy Land, there were 400 young people that gathered at the magnificent archeological site of Maritime Caesarea. They were Christians, Muslims and some Jews coming from the Territories and from different towns in Israel. A diversity that meets the objective of the event: collaborating in the building of a united world through diversity, a source of riches and not of division. Throughout the day of Sunday 13th were held the relay races, collective games, sketches, songs (in English, Israeli and Arabic) with messages of peace and of unity. All of it was organized by and for the young. They were “the true actors and executors of this event” said an excited Francesca, a member of Focolare in Jerusalem. “This year, to present the message of unity”, Francesca explains: “we launched six synthesized points – “the six yes’s”: yes to the Peace, yes to the respect, yes to the creation (ecology), yes to life and to the family, yes to the solidarity, yes to a just economy”.Every “yes” is illustrated by a mathematical symbol printed on all t-shirts of the participants. Amélie de La Hougue

Caption: “There are moments like these that give hope”

Diocese: Holy Land News

Fr. Elias OSB was appointedas the new Prior of Tabgha by Abbot Gregory Collins.

l o v e t h e h o l y l a n d a n d b e l o v e d P a G e 3

Diocese: Holy Land News

Blessed Mary of the Crucified Jesus gathers her Carmelites

In May, the religious of the Union of Religious Superiors of the Holy Land (URSHL) of Galilee have experienced two important moments: a final meeting of the pastoral year, and the election of new executive committee of Galilee. On Sunday, May 13, the religious Union of Galilee met, at the school Don Guanella of Nazareth, for their last meeting of the pastoral year. Despite numerous parish and pastoral commitments of these Sundays of the Easter season, there were about fifty to listen to the two conferences on the theme of the year, “Listening to the Word of God”. Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Israel was invited for the Mass and the concluding general assembly. He invited religious women to create a web site for the URSHL. He, then, warmly invited the religious “to really feel actively a part of the life of the Church in the Holy Land, committed to the beautiful and demanding mission of its life and its history and ready to enrich it joyfully with typical charisma, complementary to their foundation.” On May 16, the superiors of the religious communities of the USRHL of Galilee gathered, always at Don Guanella School, for the election of new leaders for the next three years, as provided for in the Statutes. The three new leaders of the Executive

Committee in Galilee are Sister Stefania Cantore, RN, of Nazareth re-elected President; Sister Karen McConnell, CIM, in Cana, new secretary; Sister Carla Francesca Andreozzi, PSJ of Nazareth, new treasurer.

By our correspondent in Galilee

New Executive Committee of the URSHL of Galilee

On Wednesday, May 2, the Patriarch presided over the inau-gural Mass of the meeting of Carmelites, gathered in Emmaus, around the Palestinian Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified. At the end of the celebration, Patriarch Twal gave a conference on the Blessed Carmelite. From May 2 to 8, some thirty religious of the four Carmels of the Holy Land (Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Haifa) met for their formation meeting. This year they have chosen to live it around the life of Blessed Mariam Baouardy, known by the name of Mary of Jesus Crucified. The session started at Emmaus-Nicopolis, the place that Jesus in person, in 1878, indicated to Sister Mariam as the Emmaus of the Gospel. In the homily, the Patriarch recalled how Blessed Mariam was “the daughter of the Holy Land”. “The Land and its hills – he said – were in her and in her inspirations and illuminations, she has discovered “the whole depth of the spiritual mes-sage of the Holy Places“. Patriarch Twal, based on the example of Sister Mariam, invited everyone to “touch these places, to smell the fragrance, to be very close to them, to be so familiar… to become ourselves an-other Holy Land in which Jesus can be born, grow up and act”. Patriarch Twal then offered the Carmelite sisters a presentation entitled: “Mariam and her Pa-triarch”. He described the special relationship of his predecessor Patriarch Vincenzo Bracco with Blessed

Mariam, describing their holy friendship: “the Patriarch was the spiritual director of Mariam, and Mariam was the spiritual support of the Patriarch”. And in conclusion: “in each of their paths are found real traces of holiness”. Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, gave a conference entitled: “Mariam and the local Church, in relation to the last Synod” on Monday May 7, which demonstrates the great relevance of Blessed Mariam today.

Amélie de La Hougue

Diocese: Pastoral activities and liturgical life


assembly responded in Arabic but sang in Hebrew. The readings were in Hebrew and the Bishop began his homily in English and it was the read in Hebrew translation by Father David. In his homily, the Bishop expressed his joy at being able to pray in the kehilla and he underlined the importance of the kehilla within the Church of Jerusalem. He pointed to the origins of the kehilla in the first Church in Jerusalem, whose members were Jewish believers in Jesus, and its unity today with the Arabic speaking community, both giving the same witness to the Messiah, in two languages in the two societies – Arab and Jewish – in the Holy Land. He was impressed especially by the music and proposed closer cooperation between the Arabic and Hebrew speaking communities in composing songs: “Our languages are Semitic and so close to one another that we can compose songs in both languages as another expression of our unity”. Vicariate for Hebrew-speaking Catholics

Priests from Cyprus feastedOur Lady of Lujan and Our Lady of GracesOn Tuesday, May 8th, the eleven priests of the Island met together at Paphos. In this occasion they had the opportunity to feast two titles of Our Lady: the Virgin of Lujan, Patroness of the Institute of the Incar-nate Word; and Our Lady of Graces, the Patroness of the Larnaca Latin parish.

The Holy Spirit comes to CyprusOn Saturday, May 19, from 9:30am to 2pm, the Confirmation candidates from the Latin Catholic pa-rishes of Cyprus met at St. Joseph’s Convent, in Ni-cosia, for one day retreat.

Pentecost: the Patriarch confirms 12 youthsOn Sunday, May 27, Patriarch Fouad Twal celebra-ted the Mass of Pentecost at the Dormition Abbey on Mount Sion, near the Cenacle. Twelve youths of different nationalities received Confirmation from the hands of the Patriarch.

On Sunday, May 6, 2012, Bishop William Shomali, Latin Patriarchal Vicar, came to visit the Hebrew speaking Catholic community (kehilla) in Jerusalem and he celebrated mass. On this same occasion, the kehilla celebrated the feast of Saint James, patron of the Oeuvre Saint-James and the Vicariate of Saint James. Bishop William came accompanied by the new Chancellor of the Latin Patriarchate, Father George Ayoub (who is originally from Galilee) and Father Issa Hijazeen. Members of the kehilla gathered in Saints Simeon and Anne House to greet the Bishop and the talented musicians of the kehilla who accompanied the prayer with their wonderful music and singing. Father David Neuhaus, Patriarchal Vicar for the Hebrew-speaking community, welcomed the bishop and expressed the joy of the community to pray together on the feast of Saint James. The mass was celebrated in Arabic and in Hebrew – the Bishop prayed in Arabic and the

First communion and confirmation candidatesfrom Jerusalem at Jordan RiverOver 130 young boys and girls took part in a trip to the banks of the Jordan River and the city of Jericho organized by the Latin Parish in Jerusalem on Sunday, April 29, 2012. It aimed to prepare them to receive First Communion and Confirmation.

The Good Shepherd Sunday in JerichoThe Jericho parish celebrated its feast on April 29, 2012. The fourth Easter Sunday, called Good Shepherd Sunday, is the day of the pastoral feast of this Palestinian parish. Bishop Shomali, Auxiliary Bishop for Jerusalem, went there especially to give the Sacrament of Confirmation to five children and to give the First Communion to four other children.

“The communion among priests is essential”On Tuesday, May 8, 2012, as every month, priests of the Latin Patriarchate met, in Bir Zeit in the presence of Bishop Shomali, Auxiliary Bishop for Jerusalem and Bishop Marcuzzo, Auxiliary Bishop for Israel. They discussed together the priorities of the priest’s life. “Communion among priests” in the pastoral work is important to fight “against individualism in decisions.”

Bishop William Shomali visits Jerusalem kehilla

Patriarch in Jifna: “Our life must be a witness” Friday, April 27-28, the Patriarch made a pastoral visit to the parish of St. Joseph in Jifna. Mass was celebrated in the early afternoon. Fourteen children of the parish were confirmed and twelve received, for the first time, Jesus in the Eucharist. Many orthodox faithful were present at the Mass together with the Pastor emeritus. In his homily, the Patriarch stressed that “the Church of the Holy Land is a Church of Calvary. It is true! Nevertheless – he added – we also live in a Land of hope, in the hope of the resurrection.” “Our life here must be a testimony of Christian living. I encourage you to remain here and not to leave. As a sign of gratitude, the Patriarch received an icon of St. Joseph, the parish patron. “This gift, said Father Firas Aridah – expresses our gratitude and our prayer for the Patriarch”. He then added: “As he protected Jesus, may St. Joseph also protect our Patriarch, head of the Church of Jerusalem. We know that his responsibility and his mission are not light.” During his visit, the Patriarch blessed and inaugurated the “Garden of St. Joseph“, which in the future will accommodate the faithful at parish celebrations. The program of the visit also included: a visit to the Rosary Sisters; a visit to the YCS (Young Christian Students) to discuss education; a visit to the municipal council to discuss the problems of daily life. The day after, the Patriarch went to the kindergarten and elementary school, visiting each class. Christophe Lafontaine

Diocese in the Middle East and around the world


“For those in the Church there is the responsibility of evangelizing the world”

Syria: the Latin Patriarchate appeals for an intense prayerPope Benedict XVI is saddened and deeply concerned by the recent massacre in Syria, which has further claimed 108 victims. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in line with the Holy Father, expresses its deepest concern and wants to be close in prayer to the people of Syria.

Mass in memory of Cardinal Daoud at the DominicansOn Thursday, April 26, a Mass was celebrated at the St. Stephen Church of the Dominicans in Jerusalem in memory of Cardinal Daoud. He entered the Peace of God on Saturday, April 7, 2012. He was the Patriarch emeritus of Antioch, and the Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches.

Eighth edition of Extraordinary Prayer for PeaceOn Saturday, June 2nd in Jerusalem, H.E. Bishop Joseph Kelekian, Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem for the Armenian Catholic Church invited faithful in the Holy Land to participate in the Eighth edition of Extraordinary Prayer by all the Churches for Reconciliation, Unity and Peace Beginning in Jerusalem.

Christians in the Arab world, a year after the Arab “Spring”The Commission of Catholic Bishops of the European Community (COMECE) and the political groups The European People’s Party and The European Conservatives and Reformists of the European Parliament, organized at the same European Parliament a meeting, held on May 9, dedicated to the ever precarious and dangerous situation in which Christians in the Arab countries find themselves.

A Righteous Among the Nations soon to be beatifiedOdoardo Focherini, an Italian lay Catholic, was already recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations in 1969. Since Thursday, May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI has recognized the martyrdom of those who was killed in hatred of the faith by the Nazi regime in Hersbruck, Germany. Thus paving the way for his beatification.

Patriarch visits CrotoneHis Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited the southern Italian city of Crotone to render homage to the Madonna of Capocolonna, a long standing devotion in the city on Friday, May 18th. The idea of this invitation was born during the diocesan pilgrimage of Crotone in the Holy Land last November. Bishop Ezio Limina and Fr. Bernardino Mongelluzzi was marked during their stay by the suffering and the force of the Mother Church of Jerusalem

From May 30 to June 3, in Milan, took place the 7th World Meeting of Families. The Holy Land was broadly represented. Even the local Church of the Holy Land prepared for this meeting. A representation of the “Committee of the inter-church family” and a larger delegation (16 members of which 12 are couples) of the Holy Land, led by Patri-arch Fouad Twal and Bishop Maroun Lahham, Episcopal delegate for the pastoral care of the family, participated in the meeting in Milan. A preparatory document, with the catechesis drawn up by the Church in Milan, translated into Arabic in Lebanon and printed by the AOCTS was distributed in all communities, institutions and Catholic parishes of all the rites in the Holy Land. The Holy See and, especially, Cardinal Antonelli Ennio of the Pontifical Council for the Family (PCF) wants to take advantage of the meeting in Milan to re-launch the project of an “International Center for the spirituality of the family” in Nazareth. This project was conceived by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez de Trujillo, announced and launched by Pope John Paul II in Rio de Janeiro in 1997 when a family from Nazareth offered him an “icon of the Holy Family of Nazareth” destined to become the icon of the new Center. In 2000 the same pope

On the theme “tourism that makes the difference”, this VII World Congress of the pastoral care of tourism gathered in Cancun several representatives (priests, lay people, and professionals of the tourism) from 40 different countries from April 23 to 27. For the Middle East, the Maronite Patriarch Boutros Bechara Rai, Father Jerzy Kraj, OFM, of Jerusalem, Deacon Sobhy Makhoul of the Maronite Archbishopric in Jerusalem, Fr. Umberto Barato OFM of Cyprus, and finally Fr. Pietro Felet, Secretary of the AOCTS were present. Among the numerous conferences of this Congress, let us review that of Father Felet, entitled “The card of the pilgrim guide in the Holy Land: legislation, requirements and difficulties”, and dedicated to the role of spiritual guide in pilgrimages. This card granted to a priest or a consecrated person to guide and inspire a pilgrimage with a legal permit is valid for all practical purposes.

Father Felet stressed the specificity of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land which is “an opportunity for thorough catechesis” and which “allows one to discover the richness of the Church of the East”. The Secretary General of the AOCTS listed the conditions for obtaining the card of spiritual guide: having the due biblical and cultural knowledge of the country, being equipped with the relational skills needed to lead a group, being for this purpose appointed by one’s diocesan or religious superior, following a continuous training, being less than 75 years, etc. He concluded: “The pilgrim does not visit a sanctuary or a church as he visits a museum. He wants to listen to and meet Someone with the help of a good spiritual guide, humanly balanced, culturally valid, biblically prepared and motivated spiritually”

Amélie de La Hougue

John Paul II blessed the model of the project in the Basilica of the Annunciation; in turn Pope Benedict XVI, in 2009 at the Mount of Precipice, blessed the cornerstone of the Center. But the project has not yet been fulfilled for practical reasons. Now, the Holy See is determined and ready to solve the legal, financial and location issues: a magnificent terrain on the hill west of Nazareth. The project and its construction have been entrusted to the “Movement for the Renewal in the Spirit” whose president is Salvatore Martinez. The Milan meeting therefore has a great opportunity to re-launch the project to promote the participation and the solidarity of Christian families throughout the world. From our correspondent in Nazareth

The Holy Land in Milan for the Meeting of Families

M I L A N O 2 0 1 2

Projects of the Latin Patriarchate


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Jaffa-Nazareth and the rootedness of Christians

Jaffa-Nazareth is a town of 18,000 inhabitants, located in Galilee. The presence of a church in that locality dates back to about 1680. It was initially administered by the Franciscans and followed by Latin Patriarchate. Christians are closely bonded to this place also because the Blessed Marie Alphonsine lived here. Today, the Latin Patriarchate has extended the level of education up to the end of high school, to allow young people to stay in their country.

Jaffa-Nazareth, a town of 18,000 inhabi-tants, already possesses a church since 1680, when it belonged to the Franciscans. With the restoration of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 1847, it was the latter that took part in 1854 in its restructuring. In 1860, the Church in Jaffa became officially a parish under the jurisdiction of the Latin Patriarchate.

In difficulties, the devotion of the faithful

“Jaffa remained a city even after the war of 1948, when all the surrounding villages instead disappeared, by reason of their abandonment by the population” explains the Rev. Father Elias Tabban, parish priest for a little over two years. “Nobody leaves Jaffa”, he adds. But the people today must deal with a severe shortage of land intended for residential building purposes. “Even for the cemeteries, land is lacking”, regrets Fr. Elias. “Our parish must be supported because it is the oldest”, he explains. “Our faithful love their church, as well as their parish. They are very bound to them. We try to help them and they feel that we take care of them”. Father Tabban hopes in particular to have the necessary means to help young couples to build their homes, allowing them to remain. Currently in Jaffa there are about 6,000 Christians. Half of them are Catholic, the other Orthodox, the rest of the population - about 12,000 people - they are Muslims. But “the number of Christians is on the rise”, expresses the Pastor, “as well as the number of our parishioners”.

Marie-Alphonsine, prayer and youth

What are the activities of the parish? For the liturgical service, I can count on “a good team”, says Father Elias. In addition, some prayer groups


For further information visit www.lpj.org :

•ACOHL:StatementinthelightoftheeventsonMay23(28May2012)

•Patriarch’shomilyofthePentecost(27May2012)

•ArcheologicalattestationofthebiblicalBethlehem(25May2012)

•Diocesanbulletin:newformat(23May2012)

•ConferenceoftheProvinceofToulouse,France,onChristiansintheHolyLand(18May2012)

•WaterintheHolyLand:ahumanitarianemergency(16May2012)

•FrenchconsulateisconcernedaboutPalestinianprisoners’situation(11May2012)

•ChristiansintheArabworld,ayearaftertheArab“Spring”(10May2012)

meet regularly: the Neo-catechumenal Way, the Rosary group, but also the Legion of Mary group, begun by Blessed Marie Alphonsine, present in the city since 1870. “Sister Marie-Alphonsine is always present in the heart of our faithful”, confides the pastor. In fact, Jaffa- Nazareth is the place of her first miracle - known as “wells”, that took place when the blessed was still alive. Finally, in the parish “children and young people aged from 5 to 18 years participating in the youth movement of Catholic Students (GSC)”, welcomes Father Elias, who serves the movement as a chaplain in collaboration with Sister Pia.

Studying in Jaffa to maintain ones roots

For these young people, the Latin Patriarchate has decided to develop a project involving the construction of a high school to accommodate the students up to 18 years and not only up to 14 as is presently the case. Therefore, the young people of Jaffa can continue and finish the high school in their country. “It is important that our children remain in Jaffa instead of going to Nazareth”, says Father Tabban. In fact, there are currently around 1200 pupils originating in Jaffa - Nazareth. But only 350 of them, may attend the school in Jaffa, the rest must go to Nazareth. “We need a larger school, because it is not good that they move from one town to another”, he adds. And concludes that the young people “must remain in their parish, in their church, otherwise they forget”. It is the challenge which is before Father Elias Tabban: to allow young people, through this project, to remain rooted in the Church of their childhood.

Work on the new school is planned for this summer in order to accommodate the new sessions in September 2012.

Daniel Le

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Latin Patriarchateof JerusalemP.O.B. 14152Jerusalem 91141Tel: + 972 2 628 23 23Fax: + 972 2 627 16 52Media office :[email protected]

EcclEsiastical tribunal

Blessed Mary Alphonsine:

inquiry about a new miracle

On Wednesday May 2, 2012, the Patriarch appointed a tribunal for the purpose of the inquiry into an alleged second miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Mary Alphonsine. The official investigation is the first step toward the eventual canonization of the first blessed of the Holy Land.

The meeting, on the evening of May 1st, be-gan with the invocation to the Holy Spirit and contin-ued with the Gospel reading of the Beatitudes. The Patriarch in his greeting thanked the ecclesiastical tribunal and asked the Blessed Mary Alphonsine to pray for the Holy Land and for the Congregation of the Sisters of the Rosary of which she is Found-ress. Patriarch Twal also expressed his joy to the Superior General of the sisters of the Rosary, Mother Iness Al-Yacoub.

The decree, read by vice-chancellor of the Patriarchate, Father Marcelo Gallardo, formalizes the investigation of the miracle and the establishment of a tribunal responsible for this purpose. Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Patriar-chal Vicar for Israel, was appointed a Judge delegate; Father Emil Salayta, Promoter of Justice, and Mr. Khader Habash, Notary. The members of the Tribunal swore on the Gospel. After which the Patriarch gave to Father Emil Salayta the petition (Supplex Libellus), which contains the documentation of the miracle to authenticate.

No miracle, no saint

In order that a blessed can be canonized a miracle must be recognized, accomplished after his/her beatification. A diocesan investigation into the presumed miracle is therefore opened. The documents are then sent to Rome and, after a study – both scientific and theological – at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope himself will sign the decree of recognition of the miracle. A miracle is a confirmation of the presence of the Kingdom of God on earth (Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, n. 5). The recognition assumes that the prodigious phenomenon is examined as scientifically inexplicable and happened in connection with prayers addressed to God through the intercession of the Servant of God.

Blessed of the Holy Land

Mary Alphonsine Danil Ghattas was born in Jerusalem on October 4, 1843 and died on March 25, 1927. On October 15, 1994, Pope John Paul II recognized the heroic virtues; in 1995 she was proclaimed “Venerable”. She was beatified on November 22, 2009 in Nazareth. “Her merit – said the Holy Father – is in having founded a Religious Congregation of women of the place with the aim of religious teaching, to overcome illiteracy and to improve the condition of woman in the land where Jesus himself exalted their dignity. … The beatification of this impressive woman is a comfort, especially for the Catholic community on the Holy Land and an invitation to rely, with firm hope, on Divine Providence and the maternal protection of Maria.

Christophe Lafontaine

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