Bethlehem celebrates 150 years of Carmelite monastery founded by St Mariam Baouardy

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Yesterday, Tuesday, August 26, 2025, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a solemn Eucharistic celebration at the Carmel Monastery in Bethlehem.

The liturgy marked the 150th anniversary of the monastery's foundation by Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified (Mariam Baouardy) and the 10th anniversary of her canonization.

In the embrace of this historic monastery, clergy, Carmelite friars, members of the Third Order of Carmel, and faithful from across the Holy Land, especially from Ibilin, the saint's native village, gathered to commemorate the founding of this sacred place.

The liturgy was concelebrated by Mgr William Shomali, General Vicar, Mgr Rafiq Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar in Galilee, Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, and Bishop Ilario Antoniazzi, together with many priests. Among the assembly were Mr Nicolas Kassianides, Consul General of France in Jerusalem, and Mr Anton Salman, Mayor of Bethlehem.

In his homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa highlighted that Saint Mary continues to inspire and attract hearts from all over the world, especially from Bethlehem, the city that nurtured her spiritual vocation. Though she left this world at the young age of 33, she left behind a profound spiritual legacy, fulfilling God's call in her life. She lived through times of war, poverty, and hardship, yet never allowed these realities to hinder her mission.

The Patriarch recalled that God was the center and first concern of her life. She carried a burning zeal that gave her no rest until her vocation in service of the Church was fulfilled. He called the faithful to learn from her example in placing God first, and not letting the troubles of the world hinder their relationship with God. "Her faith was deep and unwavering, yet she was not detached from reality", he noted. She was concerned for the universal and local Church, while traveling widely she discerned that God's will for her was to root her mission in her homeland, the Holy Land, and not elsewhere. Because of her obedience, she fullfilled God's will: "There, she gave new impetus to consecrated life and contributed to the flourishing of religious communities and institutions that placed God at their center".

The Cardinal stressed that St. Mariam understood the true purpose of the Church: "that God must be at the center". Without God, he said, "there can be no hope, no fraternity, no true life within the Church".

"From her example," the Patriarch concluded, "we too are called to fix our gaze on God, to unite ourselves with His will, and to become children of God who build and act according to the Gospel. Thus, we grow in unity of mind and heart, and where true unity is found, there God Himself is present in our midst."

Voices of testimony preceded the celebration, as the faithful recounted how the saint and her monastery continue to shape and inspire their spiritual lives.

Mrs Zein Slebi testified: "This monastery is truly a house of the marvels of the Holy Spirit. It has been the means of my salvation. As St Mariam herself described, it is a house of joy and peace. Here I was drawn closer to God's grace, learning humility and surrender. Each visit has brought me fresh revelation and guiding me in the ways of the Lord."

From Ibiline, one participant shared: "We came to celebrate the daughter of our town. Her life gives us strength, and we sense the fragrance of her holiness among us. Today we give thanks to God for this saint and seek her intercession on our earthly pilgrimage."

Marina, a member of the Third Order of Carmel, gave her witness: "It was my daughter who led me here to the monastery during an illness. Through the relics of the saint, I received healing. Since that day, I joined the Third Order, living as a laywoman in the spirituality of St. Mariam."

Today, the Carmel Monastery of Bethlehem remains what St Mariam envisioned: a place where the local faithful encounter God in silence and prayer, a refuge of hope and grace.

At the conclusion of the Mass, Fr Antoine Douaihy announced the publication of the first Arabic translation of the saint's spiritual writings, entitled 'The Little Nothing.' These meditations, originally composed in obedience to her spiritual director in Mangalore, India in 1871 before her religious profession, now speak directly to the people of her homeland in their own language.

St Mariam Baouardy was divinely inspired to establish a Carmelite monastery in the Holy Land. She chose a site on the hill known as 'David's Hill', overlooking Bethlehem, symbolizing the royal lineage of Christ. She envisioned the monastery in the form of a tower, recalling the 'Tower of David' and the 'Ivory Tower' of the Virgin Mary, as a sign of spiritual endurance.

In 1875, she led a group of nuns from France to Bethlehem, laying the foundation stone on March 24, 1876. The monastery was inaugurated in November of that year, and its church was completed and consecrated in 1892.

While overseeing the construction of the monastery, Mariam suffered a serious fall that led to her death on August 26, 1878, at the age of 32. She was beatified by Pope St John Paul II in 1983 and canonized in Rome by Pope Francis on May 17, 2015.

LINKS

Read more about St Mariam Baouardy: https://lpj.org/en/news/st-mary-of-jesus-crucified

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