On Tuesday, May 12, the Franciscans came together with the Sisters of the Rosary to pray the rosary with them and celebrate mass at the church where Mother Alphonsine of Jerusaelm was buried.
In May, the Holy Land is vibrant and gathers for the canonization of the two first Palestinian saints: Maryam Bawardi (Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified) and Marie-AlphonsineGhattas. In preparation for the feast, that will be held in Rome on Sunday, May 17, the local Church has organized several celebrations. The Congregation of the Sisters of the Rosary, which Saint Marie-Alphonsine founded, experienced an intense week of prayer and thanksgiving. Every evening since Saturday, May 9, the community has invited members of the local church to pray the rosary and celebrate mass with them. After inviting the Syriac Catholics and the Salesians, it was the Franciscans’ turn to gather with them. “These two saints belong to the whole Christian population here, which is why we wanted to celebrate by praying all together,” said Sister Hadeel, head of the nursery school belonging to the Sisters of the Rosary in BeitHanina (Jerusalem).
“These masses are a beautiful sign of ecclesial unity, and they allow us to adequately prepare for the canonization of these two Palestinian saints, who are the first in the modern era,” said Brother Sergio Galdi OFM, the Secretary of the Custody, who celebrated the mass on this day. In his homily on the day’s Gospel (John 16: 5-11), he stressed the importance of being attentive and alert to the Holy Spirit who guides us, and speaking to the sisters, he added: “My best wishes to all of you who follow in the footsteps of your founder. I pray that you may beever vigilant, like the blooming almond tree in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, so that you may be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and continue to further promote the dignity of Arab women.”
These celebrations will continue every night this week at 5:30 pm. with the Melkite Church (on May 13), with the Hebrew-speaking migrant community (on May 14), and with the Latin Seminary inBeitJala (on May 15) before beginning a “holiness marathon” thatwill last 24 hours before the canonization. During this marathon, masses will give way to rosaries and adoration, in an effort to give thanks to Mother Marie Alphonsine, without forgetting Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified.
Hélène Morlet
See also the video of the CMC, click here
In May, the Holy Land is vibrant and gathers for the canonization of the two first Palestinian saints: Maryam Bawardi (Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified) and Marie-AlphonsineGhattas. In preparation for the feast, that will be held in Rome on Sunday, May 17, the local Church has organized several celebrations. The Congregation of the Sisters of the Rosary, which Saint Marie-Alphonsine founded, experienced an intense week of prayer and thanksgiving. Every evening since Saturday, May 9, the community has invited members of the local church to pray the rosary and celebrate mass with them. After inviting the Syriac Catholics and the Salesians, it was the Franciscans’ turn to gather with them. “These two saints belong to the whole Christian population here, which is why we wanted to celebrate by praying all together,” said Sister Hadeel, head of the nursery school belonging to the Sisters of the Rosary in BeitHanina (Jerusalem).
“These masses are a beautiful sign of ecclesial unity, and they allow us to adequately prepare for the canonization of these two Palestinian saints, who are the first in the modern era,” said Brother Sergio Galdi OFM, the Secretary of the Custody, who celebrated the mass on this day. In his homily on the day’s Gospel (John 16: 5-11), he stressed the importance of being attentive and alert to the Holy Spirit who guides us, and speaking to the sisters, he added: “My best wishes to all of you who follow in the footsteps of your founder. I pray that you may beever vigilant, like the blooming almond tree in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, so that you may be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and continue to further promote the dignity of Arab women.”
These celebrations will continue every night this week at 5:30 pm. with the Melkite Church (on May 13), with the Hebrew-speaking migrant community (on May 14), and with the Latin Seminary inBeitJala (on May 15) before beginning a “holiness marathon” thatwill last 24 hours before the canonization. During this marathon, masses will give way to rosaries and adoration, in an effort to give thanks to Mother Marie Alphonsine, without forgetting Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified.
Hélène Morlet
See also the video of the CMC, click here