Holy Land Commission visit highlights Latin Patriarchate school, aid and job projects

Donata Maria Cretho-Benziger, interim head of the Holy Land Commission of the Holy Crusade, said the most moving moment of the Commission’s annual visit to the Holy Land, held from 5 to 9 October 2016, was watching young people celebrate in the square of the Latin Patriarchal school. “Their faces radiated with joy,” she said, describing the scene. “In a land of great pain and uncertainty, the joy, faith and hope of these young people was very touching.”

Throughout Jerusalem, Galilee and the West Bank, the delegation met with church officials, priests, educators, project managers and community members. The aim was to learn more about the challenges facing the Jerusalem parish and the effect of projects supported by the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Tomb on the church and its children. Johnny Zeidan, the new Under-Secretary-General of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, accompanied the delegation and briefed members on projects in humanitarian assistance, education, priestly formation, employment and pastoral care. The briefings allow the Commission to track funded projects and set priorities for the needs of the Church and the communities it serves.

The visit began with a meeting with the late Cardinal Pierrepatista Pitsabala, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who briefed members on humanitarian and pastoral conditions in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem. Members were also briefed on Gaza through a video contact with the parish priest there. Despite major challenges, the Latin Patriarchate continued to provide humanitarian assistance and reopened its school in the Strip.

In the Old City of Jerusalem, the delegation visited four Christian families who receive help through the Social Services Department of the Latin Patriarchate. Their circumstances reflect rising economic pressure, including unemployment and higher living costs, which make it difficult to pay school fees, rent and other basic expenses. The department receives more than 270 monthly requests for assistance from people across the West Bank. These include food vouchers, contributions toward education and housing, emergency medical help, and support for families carrying heavy debt. The department also runs programmes to help women and young people start small businesses or gain vocational skills.

The Patriarchate’s work extends beyond urgent needs to job creation that helps people become economically independent. Some 110 jobs have been made available to young women and men in Jerusalem and the West Bank, in cooperation with local schools, community institutions and others. Donata said the Patriarchate’s influence “is profound: through its schools, its schools, its humanitarian work and pastoral care, it provides much more than material assistance; it preserves the dignity of families, gives them hope and the possibility of building a future in their land.”

The Holy Tomb Knights support these initiatives, helping the local church respond to urgent needs and continue its long-term mission. In Galilee, the Commission met Father Ibrahim Shomli, director of the Latin Patriarchal schools in the region, who described the work of five schools in Haifa, Shafa’amr, Nazareth, Reina and Rama. Together they serve more than 500 students, offering academic education and Christian formation in a shared environment for students from different backgrounds.

In Beit Sahur, the delegation visited the Latin Patriarchate School, which has 380 students. Its director, Anton Graisse, described the difficulties families face after years of declining tourism and fewer jobs. With many parents unable to pay school fees, the Commission helped the school continue its educational mission and keep Catholic education accessible, a practical act of charity and hospitality (Hebrews 13:16).

The Commission also supports the Patriarchate’s school infrastructure, including classroom restoration, science and computer laboratories, libraries, sanitation facilities and basic development work. At Bethlehem University, members were briefed on the “Perspectives” project, which aims to build the skills of graduates through training and job opportunities, helping them enter the labour market in Palestine and Jerusalem, particularly in medical, social and economic fields. Father Bernard Bogie presented on the clinical programme, ongoing construction and future plans.

The Commission’s meetings also highlighted the economic and social pressures facing Christian communities, in particular unemployment, insecurity and migration.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)