ZABABDEH – On Sunday, January 7th, 2024, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany), H.B. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a Mass in the Church of Our Lady of the Visitation, and celebrated the 43rd anniversary of the first scout group launched in Zababdeh. This came as part of his first pastoral visit to the parish of Zababdeh and the Governorate of Jenin after his elevation to the rank of Cardinal in the Catholic Church. Concelebrating was Mgr. William Shomali, General Vicar, Mgr. Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, and several priests: in the presence of the faithful of Zababdeh.
Mr. Kamal Abu Al-Rub, Deputy Governor of Jenin Governorate, Mr. Nidal Obaidi, Mayor of Jenin, and the delegation accompanying them, in addition to members of the Pastoral Council, received His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista and his accompanying delegation at the entrance to the town of Zababdeh. Then, Mr. Abu Al-Rub expressed his joy upon the Cardinal’s visit and assured him of the unity and mutual understanding among the Palestinian people. He also thanked him for his continued interest in the affairs of the believers and the people of the town of Zababdeh and the Governorate.
During his visit, Card. Pierbattista met with the priests of the Greek Orthodox Church and their scout group in a fraternal meeting to exchange congratulations on his elevation as a Cardinal. He also met with members of the Zababdeh Scout and the Pastoral Council, during which he expressed how proud and joyous he is for their work in the parish, particularly their constant progress over the years.
In his homily, H.B. Card. Pierbattista expressed his gratitude for being with the priests, sisters, and faithful of the parish amidst these difficult times, saying: “It is important to gather together as a Church and that all the parish activities continue, despite the challenges we are faced with, to preserve our faith be strengthened by one another”. And commenting on the Lord’s Baptism, he said: “This feast is one of the most important feasts celebrated by the Church, as it confirms our faith in Jesus, the Son of God. It also highlights the importance of the place where His Baptism took place, the Jordan river, and its connection to the history of salvation, as its where Moses led the people of God from Slavery to the Promised Land, which is a foreshadow of our salvation through Christ”. He also commented on the moment when the sky split open, during Jesus’s Baptism, stressing that nothing can close this permanent crack that occurred in the sky: “ If the heavens are ripped open, all the life, the beauty, the love that is up there no longer has any impediment, no frontier, and pours out onto the earth.” He said: “This feast also reminds us of our personal baptism, through which we become members of the Body of Christ, that is, the Church, which we must live in unity with, despite the evil and darkness around it, which tries to distract us from receiving the message of hope, but this is the work of the evil one, so We must adhere to the light of Christ and spread it in our families and societies to strengthen it against the darkness of death because we are children of the resurrection.” In the end, he thanked Fr. Elias Taban, the parish priest of Zababdeh, Fr. Yazan Badr, the assistant priest, the sisters, and all those in charge of the parish’s events and activities.
After Mass, he met with the people of Gaza who reside in the town, where he listened to them and assured them of his continued support and his utmost efforts to solve the problems, they face to live a decent life.
