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by Marc Nadeau

May 14, 2009

During his visit to the Aida refugee camp, the Holy Father praised the dedication of some courageous and generous Catholics in the Holy Land.

“I wish to acknowledge the good work carried out by many Church agencies in caring for refugees here and in other parts of the Palestinian Territories,” he said. “The Pontifical Mission for Palestine, founded some sixty years ago to coordinate Catholic humanitarian assistance for refugees, continues its much-needed work alongside other such organizations.”

In the aftermath of the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948, which led to Israel’s independence, the Pontifical Mission for Palestine was founded in June 1949 by Pope Pius XII. During the first decade of its existence, it distributed more than $34 million in food, clothing, medicine and services.

While Pope Benedict XVI visited Nazareth today, I met with Rodolf Sa’adeh, who is the project coordinator of the Pontifical Mission. Not yet thirty, this man makes a real difference in the life of the local Church. He greeted me at the headquarters of the Mission, located just a few steps away from the New Gate in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.

“In the Holy Land, the Church and its different entities are a focal point for the faithful, notably in overseeing various aspects of their lives,” Sa’adeh said. “In that sense, the role of the Catholic institutions is all but traditional.”

Rather, he continued, “the Church is an employer, a lawyer and a social services provider in education and health,” just to name a few roles.

With visible passion, he explained to me in detail one of the numerous projects undertaken by the Pontifical Mission, in conjunction with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem: the solidarity housing project.

In Jerusalem, most Palestinians are not homeowners, mainly due to the fact that building licenses are very hard to obtain from the municipality. The issue of permanent Israeli residency causes additional problems for Palestinian families in Jerusalem, particularly when one spouse does not hold that required identification status.

With Palestinians making up the majority of the area’s Arab Christian community, then, their housing problem is also a Christian one – and so the Pontifical Mission steps in.

In 2005, a project was begun to build a total of 72 housing units. Construction licenses have since been obtained for 64, and the remaining units are in the final stages of approval.

For us, 72 housing units is small change – here, it means the world.

But so far, less than half of the $14 million needed for this goal has been raised.

“A lot remains to be done,” said Sa’adeh, naming fundraising and the need for the potential homeowners to secure mortgages – “another significant challenge for a Palestinian in Jerusalem.”

“Anybody in the world,” he continued, might take for granted their ability to have a home of their choice, but “in Jerusalem, it’s not the same.”

“This housing development is a dream coming true for our community, if only because owning a house is a manifest sign of stability for a family,” said Sa’adeh, himself a young father who – in addition to his job at the Pontifical Mission – is also the manager of the housing venture.

Significantly, Pope Benedict blessed the foundation stone of the housing project at the Bethlehem Mass on Wednesday. Such a prominent display of support will certainly prove beneficial in the future.

In the past three days, the shepherd of the Catholic Church has stressed the importance for Palestinians to have their own country – an integral step, it goes without saying, toward cultivating a sense of identity and belonging. The same could be said of the importance of a house for a family.

Energized by the Pope’s visit and words, Sa’adeh and his partners will continue to push for their plan come to fruition. The bishop of Rome has not yet departed, but we can already observe that his pilgrimage this week has invigorated the local Church to flourish in the Holy Land.

Marc Nadeau is Headline Bistro's correspondent in the Holy Land during Pope Benedict XVI's pilgrimage there. He will be filing daily stories, photos and observations of the pope's time in the Holy Land, with a focus on the impact of the trip on the local, Catholic community. Marc is a Knight of Columbus in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and Deputy Grand Knight of Council #9825.