Sixteen kilometers from Jerusalem, the hill of Kiryat Yearim, where the Ark of the Covenant resided for 20 years, today bears witness to God's sovereignty and faithfulness. The Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant for the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition marked its centenary on Saturday, August 31, 2024. It celebrated the reopening of its doors following two years of renovations.
The centenary celebration and dedication of the new altar were led by His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, along with Msgr. Bolous-Marcuzzo, Bishop Emeritus, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris, and a delegation of bishops, alongside numerous priests. The event was also attended by Mr. Nicolas Kassianides, the French Consul General in Jerusalem, his wife, and representatives from Malta.
Hundreds of faithful from across the Diocese of Jerusalem attended the celebration, which began with the Cardinal’s blessing of the 100-year-old newly renovated door, made to resemble both the presence of God in the Burning Bush and the Resurrection of Jesus from the Tomb. Followed by the Sprinkling Rite, to consecrate the new building of the Church.
In his homily, Card. Pizzaballa emphasizes the renewal of faith and trust in God, symbolized by the reopening of a church and the dedication of a new altar, urging believers to embrace patience, obedience, and hope in God's plan, even amid current struggles and uncertainties: “Mary teaches us to enter the time of gestation, a time of patience, silence and waiting. The things of man are done in an instant, the things of God take time and come slowly: a long gestation is necessary for the new thing to be born”.
The celebration continued with the recitation of the Litany of the Saints, followed by the placement of relics of Saint Émilie de Vialar, founder of the Institute of St. Joseph of the Apparition, along with the relics of Saint Mariam Bouardy, a close friend of Sister Josephine Rumèbe, the shrine’s foundress, along with the relics of Pope Pius X, who was Pope when the Church was established. Cardinal Pizzaballa then anointed the new altar, symbolizing Christ’s presence among the faithful, with Chrism Oil, echoing the anointing of Christ's body with spices. Incense was poured to signify Christ's divinity, after which the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition adorned the altar with linen, flowers, and sacred vessels in preparation for Mass. Following the Consecration of the Host, the faithful’s attention was drawn to the tabernacle as H.B. Cardinal Pizzaballa placed the Blessed Eucharist, representing the constant presence of Christ, inside the Church.
Overview of the Church
The monastery, located on a hilltop believed to be the biblical site of Kiryat Ya’arim, has a rich historical background. Kiryat Ya’arim, mentioned in the Bible as a Canaanite cultic center, is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept after a plague in Beth Shemesh, before being moved to Jerusalem. The site was later conquered by the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishaq in 925 BC. During Roman times, a military detachment was stationed nearby, and Crusaders later built a church over the spring on the hilltop. In 1903, France purchased the site, and by 1924, a monastery and church dedicated to "Notre Dame De L’arche D’alliance" (Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant) were constructed. The church features a sculpture of Mary with the infant Jesus and a 5th-century mosaic floor from a Byzantine basilica. Archaeological excavations between 2017 and 2019 revealed large retaining walls from the 8th century BCE, suggesting Kiryat Ya’arim was an important cultic center. Roman inscriptions within the church indicate a Roman presence between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. The monastery, maintained by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, is open to visitors and offers panoramic views of Jerusalem.
