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Holy Land
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Bethlehem University students facing ‘extraordinary’ difficulties
- . 26 June 2024
A Bethlehem University official has appealed for prayers and assistance, with the Israel-Hamas war causing “extraordinary” difficulties for its students. Source: Vatican News.
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King of Jordan promises to protect Christian holy sites
- . 6 May 2024
Jordan’s King Abdullah II has offered assurance to Pope Francis that Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem will be protected amid the Israel-Hamas war. Source: OSV News.
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Easter celebrations scaled down in Holy Land but hope survives
- . 3 April 2024
Good Friday’s Stations of the Cross walk to the Holy Sepulchre Church went off quietly and prayerfully, although missing pilgrims meant reduced numbers for all Easter ceremonies in Jerusalem. Source: The Tablet.
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Pope writes letter to his ‘dear brothers and sisters’ in the Holy Land
- . 28 March 2024
Pope Francis yesterday issued a letter to the Christians of the Holy Land in preparation for Good Friday, expressing his solidarity with a community that continues to suffer amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Source: CNA.
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‘We are not alone, abandoned or afraid,’ says patriarch of Jerusalem
- . 26 March 2024
When Christians gathered in Jerusalem to remember Jesus’ entry into the city, it was one of a few joyful moments in the Holy Land, “crushed by so much hatred” in the months following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Source: OSV News.
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Vatican’s Good Friday collection to aid humanitarian efforts in Gaza
- . 14 March 2024
This year, the Vatican’s annual Good Friday financial appeal for the Holy Land highlights the urgent humanitarian crisis facing the beleaguered population in Gaza and the Pope’s plea for peace. Source: CNA.
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In the midst of war in Gaza, children receive First Holy Communion
- . 15 January 2024
In the midst of war and suffering, the Catholic faithful of Holy Family Parish in northern Gaza continue to walk in the light of faith, with eight children receiving their First Holy Communion on January 7. Source: CNA.
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Holy Land churches ask communities to forgo public Christmas festivities
- . 13 December 2023
Public Christmas celebrations that are usually an integral part of Advent and Christmas in the Holy Land will be absent this year not only in Gaza, but in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Amman, as well. Source: National Catholic Register.
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Caritas worker and family killed in Gaza air strike
- . 24 November 2023
Caritas Australia is mourning the loss of another colleague from the Caritas Network who was killed in a bombing in Gaza.