Rami Asakerieh and Zaher Aboud’s Diaconal Ordination in Nazareth

Last Sunday, the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth was filled with prayerful well-wishers who gathered as the clock struck five to celebrate the diaconal ordination of Brother Rami Asakirieh and Brother Zaher Aboud. The Catholic Melkite bishop of Akko and Galilee, Mgr. Elias Shakour, presided over the celebration in the Byzantine rite. Concelebrating the Mass were Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, and Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Patriarchal Vicar for the Galilee, as well as many other priests of both Byzantine and Latin rites. Many people from all over the Holy Land came to join in the celebration, notably Deacon Rami Asakerieh’s parents, who came especially from Amman, Jordan to attend the ceremony, and Deacon Zaher Aboud’s parents from Shfa Amer in the Galilee, in addition to all the other friends and acquaintances present. The celebration was an expression of the unity of the Church through the wedding of these two different rites, as Bishop Shakour emphasized in his homily. He expressed his happiness at ordaining two deacons of the Byzantine rite who are consecrated in the Franciscan order. The bishop also thanked the two deacons for taking this step that encourages inquiry and wonder at the truth of the Christian faith and God’s work in the life of every person. After Mass, the two newly ordained deacons were congratulated by family and friends in the courtyard of the church, where a reception had been prepared.

The Bishop and the Custos, together with all of the Franciscan friars who came especially to attend the ordination ceremony then made their way to the Casa Nova Hotel for a dinner in honour of the newly ordained deacons. The Custody of the Holy Land heartily congratulates the newly ordained deacons. May God bless both of you and your families in every step of your lives.

GK