Articles by Marinella Bandini
The Church in the Holy Land rings in the new year with pleas for peace
Jan 1, 2024 / 11:15 amCardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa challenged Christians of the Holy Land to “make a difference.”
Midnight Mass in Bethlehem: Patriarch addresses Gazan Christians, calls for end to war
Dec 25, 2023 / 09:00 am“It is not enough to talk about a cease-fire; we don’t want a cease-fire, we want the hostilities to end,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said.
Israel-Hamas war casts pall over Christmas Eve vespers in Bethlehem
Dec 24, 2023 / 13:04 pmAt Bethlehem’s Basilica of the Nativity, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa presided over the first vespers of Christmas.
Catholics in the Holy Land gather at prayer vigil to prepare for Christmas
Dec 23, 2023 / 09:42 amThe weekend before Christmas began with an evening of prayer and music at the Church of St. Saviour, the Latin parish of Jerusalem.
Experts announce latest in restoration work on Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Dec 22, 2023 / 10:16 amNew updates on the ongoing work at one of the holiest sites in Jerusalem were presented recently to leaders of the three communities responsible for the basilica.
Convent in Gaza uninhabitable after taking fire; residents take refuge in parish church
Dec 20, 2023 / 17:20 pmThe convent, which was home to over 54 disabled persons as well as three religious sisters, was greatly damaged by rocket fire on Saturday, Dec. 16.
Custos of Holy Land discusses the vocation of Christians in the region today
Dec 17, 2023 / 08:00 amSpeaking on Advent, Christmas, hope, and faith, Father Francesco Patton reflected on the meaning of the season for Christians who face hardship in the Holy Land.
PHOTOS: Hanukkah events in Jerusalem focus on finding light, hope, and faith in dark times
Dec 14, 2023 / 05:30 amOn Dec. 7 and 12, Hanukkah events in Jerusalem brought together Jews, Christians, and representatives of other faiths to celebrate “choosing life and choosing light.”
PHOTOS: Bethlehem welcomes Advent 2023 with quieter procession, still with hope
Dec 4, 2023 / 17:00 pmTo mark the beginning of Advent, the custos of the Holy Land and the Franciscan friars made their annual procession into the city of Bethlehem.
PHOTOS: Christmas celebrations canceled in Bethlehem in the midst of war
Nov 26, 2023 / 06:00 amThe patriarchs and leaders of the Churches in Jerusalem have urged the faithful to focus on the spiritual meaning of the Nativity.
‘A battle inside us’: Hebrew Catholics in the Holy Land wrestle with challenges of war
Nov 19, 2023 / 06:00 amThe Israel-Hamas war has brought challenges to Hebrew Catholics in Israel, but the diverse and vibrant community holds on to its faith as a guide and consolation.
Church in Jerusalem welcomes new consecrated member
Nov 12, 2023 / 07:00 amMaría Ruiz Rodríguez made her consecration in the Ordo Virginum on Nov. 1, permanently rooting herself in the local ecclesiastical community in the Holy Land.
PHOTOS: Catholics gather in Jerusalem for a prayer vigil for peace
Nov 9, 2023 / 15:37 pmThe event took place at the Terra Sancta High School of the Custody of the Holy Land, located in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem patriarch Cardinal Pizzaballa: The Lord ‘wants me to bring his grace to this place’
Nov 3, 2023 / 11:49 am“We do not pray for those who are right or wrong. We pray for those who are at war,” Jerusalem patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said.
Latin patriarch of Jerusalem reconsecrates Holy Land to Our Lady, Queen of Palestine
Oct 30, 2023 / 14:45 pm“Today, we consecrate once again our Church, our diocese, our land to Our Lady, Queen of Palestine,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said Oct. 29.
Franciscan friar’s ‘Way of the Cross’ resumes on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem
Oct 30, 2023 / 13:15 pmThe Franciscans returned to pray along on the Via Dolorosa after holding the Way of the Cross in the church for two weeks for security reasons.
Catholic couple in Israel baptizes baby in haste: ‘The only hope is in the Church’
Oct 25, 2023 / 07:00 amAn Arab-Israeli doctor and his Italian wife chose to baptize their baby sooner than planned and are leaning on their faith as they plan for worsening conditions.
Archbishop of Canterbury arrives in Holy Land, joins church leaders in prayer for peace
Oct 20, 2023 / 16:30 pmFollowing an explosion at Al Ahli Anglican Hospital and an airstrike that hit St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church today, Christian leaders gathered to pray.
Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem hold press conference after Gaza hospital explosion
Oct 18, 2023 / 16:00 pmOn Wednesday, Oct. 18, religious leaders spoke to the press about the explosion at the Anglican hospital “Al Ahli” in Gaza that killed hundreds of civilians.
Praying for peace: Franciscans hold special prayer services in Jerusalem
Oct 16, 2023 / 14:13 pmThis past weekend, Franciscan friars joined with other religious and laypeople to pray for peace in the Holy Land one week after war broke out between Israel and Hamas.