From June 11th until June 16th, 2024, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, conducted a pastoral visit to Haifa, which was spent in communion with the faithful, overseeing the life of the church in Haifa, meeting the communities, and presiding over the yearly procession for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Cardinal Pizzaballa and the delegation accompanying him were welcomed by Fr. Kaberianos Kaberianos, O.Carm. , the parish priest of Haifa, along with several bishops and priests from Galilee, and members of the municipality and the community. He was received amidst the sound of symphonies played by the Scout of Haifa who gathered in the street with the faithful in high spirits for his presence among them.
“I have come to assure all of you of my nearness as your pastor, and to hear directly from you about your needs,” said H.B. Card. Pizzaballa. Then he blessed all present with Holy water and presided over a Mass in St. Joseph church of the parish. After Mass, a gathering was held at the parish hall, where His Beatitude got to dialogue with the parishioners and have a deeper insight into the parish life in Haifa.
Educational level
During his stay in Haifa, he visited the Carmel school of the parish, which is run by the brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, and presided over the kindergarten graduation ceremony. He also visited the Terra Sancta school, run by the Franciscans, and the sisters of Nazareth school in Haifa, which belongs to the Patriarchate. He met with the administrative and educational staff of each school and had a tour of the school’s building. He also met with Ms. Christine Zahr, Executive Director of the Patriarchate schools in Israel, and Mr. Wissam Odeh, head of the financial department, to gain insight into the different areas that need improvement in the schools of Haifa, from infrastructural and educational aspects.
Card. Pizzaballa noted that the improvement of Christian formation in the schools is one of his main focuses now, due to the crucial role it plays in building the faith of the young generation of the Church.
He also visited the University of Haifa, where he was welcomed by Ms. Muna Marwan, the vice president of the university. And visited the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, where he was welcomed by Prof. Oded Rabinovitch, Senior Executive Vice President, who shared that the institute has 30% Arab students and 42% women, and that they “strive to provide a sound and inclusive educational environment for everyone”. He also met with the dean of students, as well as several Christian students at the university to learn about their academic life at the institute. Card. Pizzaballa stated: “I am delighted for my first official visit to the university. I am aware that the Christian students are relatively small at the university, but we are aware of the reputation and strength of this university in educating future generations. Our community is currently facing many disturbances; hence, universities play an important aspect in producing students capable of collaborating and working towards achieving a just and inclusive society”.
Religious life
He also met and prayed with the various religious orders of Haifa and visited the institutions they run. One of which is the Sacred Heart of Jesus Institute, a daycare that provides services for individuals with special needs and severe learning disabilities ranging from 4 months to 21 years old. It is supervised by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs and run by the sisters of Charity. He also visited the Italian hospital in Haifa, which is run by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He also visited the Stella Maris Monastery on Mount Carmel
“It is important for me to meet with those who consecrated their lives to carry Christ to the hearts of people,” Card. Pizzaballa expressed during his homily, for a Mass he presided at the parish church in the presence of consecrated men and women and members of the various Apostolic movements (Focolare Movement, El-Salam (peace) group, the communion and liberation movement). “The consecrated life in Haifa is rich and many vocations are emerging from Haifa, which is a good sign of the liveliness of the life of the Church”.
Life of the Parish, and Church
During the pastoral visit, he visited the sick and elders of the parish in their homes and anointed them with the Chrism oil.
Met with the various pastoral groups, and fraternities, who presented themselves and shared their thoughts with His Beatitude. On Sunday, he presided over a Mass for the Sunday school children and spent time with them to get to know more about their yearly activities.
Not to mention, he presided over a Mass for the Hebrew-speaking catholic community, and the Filipino Catholic community of Haifa. Then they presented him with an overview of their programs and activities, which allow for a time of fellowship.
He also visited the Pastoral Center in Haifa, where he met with the youth of Haifa, in the presence of Fr. Ramez Twal, the general chaplain of the youth in Galilee.
Card. Pizzaballa visited the various churches in Haifa: The Armenian, Maronite, Anglican, Melkite, and Orthodox churches. “Despite our different traditions, we all belong to one Christ, hence, I like to visit the different churches during my visit and to collaborate in favor of the Christian communities here, amidst these times of hatred and violence that we are witnessing”.
To note, His Beatitude met with members of the Baháʼí of Haifa, and the prince of the Ahmadiyya Community in Haifa, as well as visited the Mosque of Haifa.
Celebrations
On the fourth day of the pastoral visit, Friday, June 14th, the Feast Day of St. Elisha the Prophet and Martyr, the spiritual father for the Carmelites, Card. Pizzaballa presided over a morning Mass at St. Elisha's grotto, on Mount Carmel. Concelebrated by Msgr. Rafiq Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar of Galilee, Fr. Kaberianos, and several priests, in the presence of the faithful.
In his homily, his beatitude expressed that today’s feast is not only a celebration of the Carmelite’s presence in Haifa, but also the remembrance of the history of Salvation, and spoke of the prophetic role of the Church: “In the Old Testament, the prophet resembled the voice of God among the people by having a constant connection with God and the community, yet his actions were not moved by human expectations. Likewise, the Church needs to find its identity in Christ. I hope that we are reminded by the Carmelite’s presence in Haifa of what it means to be a prophet today and that we, the Church, preserve our freedom, by acting upon God’s voice and not the expectations of humans, and politics”.
And, on Sunday, June 16th, 2024, Card. Pizzaballa presided over Sunday’s Mass at St. Joseph church and addressed the faithful saying: “You might feel overwhelmed by the difficulties you face here, but I assure you the Christian presence in Haifa is rich. Those who come to visit you from outside see the beauty and importance of your presence in Haifa”. And while commenting on the Gospel reading of the Parable of the Growing Seed, he said: “There is always going to be something to work on and improve but you need to keep Christ at the center of all your activities. This is the secret for having a good soil that allows for the seed to yield fruit”.
Then, he presided over the Marian Procession of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, with the participation of Msgr. Rafiq Nahra, and Msgr. Bolous-Marcuzzo, Bishop Emeritus, several priests, and Seminarists.
The procession was marked by the presence of a huge crowd of faithful, who came from all over the region, to pray and honor our lady of Mt. Carmel, as well as the participation of various scout groups.
Click here to view the Album of the Pastoral Visit
Click here to view the Album of the Procession
