New pilgrimage brings Christians, Muslims, and Jews together in Holy Land at Abraham House

Jerusalem, Sep 19, 2024 / 07:00 am

On Sept. 14 in Jerusalem, a new pilgrimage called “Pilgrims of Hope Way” was inaugurated. The event marked the 60th anniversary of Maison Abraham (Abraham House), a pilgrim guest house created by Secours Catholique-Caritas France.

Abraham House is located on top of a hill in the heart of the Muslim neighborhood of Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem. From here, the view stretches across the walls of Jerusalem, encompassing the city from Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa Compound) to Mount Zion.

“We host pilgrims of all religions, especially the poorest. That’s the mission entrusted to us by Pope Paul VI in 1964,” Bernard Thibaud, the director, explained to CNA. “We were also asked to promote the encounter with the inhabitants of the neighborhood.”

At that time, the political and geographical situation was very different. The house was under Jordanian rule, and Arabs from all over the Middle East could travel to Jerusalem by bus. Only three years later, and to this day, the house has been located in the Jerusalem area under Israeli occupation.

“We mainly have Christian visitors. Around 10% to 15% are Muslims, especially during Ramadan, and a few groups of Jewish people — those who are comfortable visiting an Arab neighborhood,” Thibaud explained.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary, Pope Francis sent a message of encouragement “to continue this charitable work, so that this house may always remain a place of welcome, encounter, and dialogue for all the children of Abraham who sincerely seek to enter into a relationship with God and with their neighbor.” He also expressed the desire that the Way “will be a sign of hope, inspiring the hearts of the people and leaders of this region to feelings of peace.”

On Sept. 14, Monsignor William Shomali, general vicar of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, blessed the Pilgrims of Hope Way in the presence of many priests, religious people, and lay faithful — which included Christians, Muslims, and Jews. 

Among the attending authorities were the consul general of France in Jerusalem, Nicolas Kassianides; Monsignor Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the French Bishops’ Conference, who presided over the Mass; Didier Duriez, director of Secours Catholique; and Joseph Hazboun and Anton Asfar, directors of the Pontifical Mission and Caritas in Jerusalem, respectively.

The Pilgrims of Hope Way was conceived as a reflection on the mission of the Abraham House. The route winds beneath the garden and terraces of the house, marked by 15 stations with ceramic tiles featuring quotes from the Bible, the Hebrew Bible, and the Koran. 

“It’s inspired by Christian values, but we think that people of all faiths could find inspiration,” Thibauld told CNA. The core message is hospitality: We need to practice hospitality, and this should be expanded, which is the essence of mercy, he said.

The first section on the pilgrimage focuses on hospitality and includes five stations. An icon depicting Abraham and Sarah welcoming the three strangers dominates the small square. “Since the beginning of our path we are invited to meditate on the encounter with the eternal through the unconditional welcome of all strangers,” Thibaud said.

The second section is called “Faith and Charity” and includes four stations: the faith of Abraham, who was ready to offer his only son on Mount Moriah; the pilgrim’s faith represented by Mount Zion; the charity of the good Samaritan; and one of the righteous. 

“That’s what Caritas is and what leads us until today,” Thibaud said. The name “Pilgrims of Hope” is connected both to the history of Caritas France and to the upcoming Jubilee. (Abraham House was also the founding place of Caritas Jerusalem in 1967.)

The third section is titled “Prayer and Hospitality” and features three stations. It aims to honor the history of the House, which used to be home to the Benedictine community and the Syrian-Catholic seminary (1901–1952). A few quotes from the Rule of Saint Benedict are included, like the famous one “Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ.” 

The last section, about “Mercy and Service,” is located in the part of the garden facing Mount Zion and the Cenacle. The Way ends in front of the icon of the “washing of the feet.” 

“During the Way we learn that hospitality expands with the gesture of Jesus’ foot washing, which calls us to practice mercy,” Thibaud said. The last station quotes the prophet Micah (6:8) about what is good before God: “practicing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with your God.”

On its inaugural day, the pilgrimage took about 45 minutes to complete, with participants stopping at every section and taking time to meditate and pray. In the different areas, there were readings, brief meditations, moments of silence, singing, and prayers.

“We usually refer to all our pilgrimages as a ‘Pilgrimage of Hope’ — it’s like a trademark for us,” Thibaud explained. Additionally, the name alludes to the Jubilee. “We are also waiting for pilgrims to visit the Holy Land and show their solidarity and communion with the Church here. When people come as pilgrims, they convey their hope, and the local people welcoming them receive joy and hope that things can start anew. That’s exactly what they represent at this moment: pilgrims of hope.’”

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Since Oct. 7, 2023, Abraham House has been almost empty. 

“The only ones who are coming are the people experiencing poverty, those who know about difficulties and hope. The same happened during the COVID pandemic,” Thibaud shared. “Personally, I find that the poor people can give a testimony of hope to the others who may not have so many difficulties.”

Thibaud explained that Secours Catholique-Caritas France has a specific program to help people in need to save money so they can make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The program takes more than a year. 

“They work hard to save money: They run activities, they make cakes, they sell postcards... and we have several weekends of preparation,” Thibaud said. 

On the occasion of the anniversary, about 15 pilgrims experiencing poverty in France reached the Abraham House to celebrate and share their own path of faith and hope. 

One of them, Peter S., gave his testimony: “When I came to the Holy Land the first time on a pilgrimage like this, I found myself and I realized that my life was going to change. Now I’m active in the parish, I go to Mass... I’m turning 60, I’m still as poor as before, but I’m happy.”

By the time these pilgrims arrive in the Holy Land, they have known each other for a long time.   

Thierry D., a father of five including three children with disabilities, shared: “When I first came, I met people among our pilgrim’s group who became family. Even now we’re still in contact with each other; they came to my 25th wedding anniversary. That’s the meaning of the icons on the Pilgrims of Hope Way: I experienced foot washing in France as well as in Bethlehem, and it changed my life.”

In a few months, Thibaud will be retiring from his position as director of Abraham House.

“To me, it was a privilege to be there for four years,” he said. “I will always remember the joy of the Palestinian people, whom I worked with, their way of looking at life, of handling all the problems with lots of patience and joy. Since the beginning, my faith has been built by the testimony of the people most suffering and the poor, they keep building my faith through their shining witness through the injustices and difficulties of life.”