Projects sponsored by the Lieutenancy in Jordan and the Occupied Territories

Projects sponsored by the Lieutenancy in Jordan and the Occupied Territories.

We have previously given accounts of some of the projects that this Lieutenancy has supported in the Holy Land. Continuing that trend, you will find three project descriptions, two of which have now been concluded.

With a generous grant from the Lieutenancy, the rehabilitation works of the Bir Zeit parish and school hall, which some visited in 2019, were fully implemented as planned, converting the hall (auditorium style) to a flat multi-purpose hall. The hall is now ready to be used by Birzeit’s children, youth, students and elderly to host activities that aim at serving the community at large. Bir Zeit is situated in the Occupied Territories.

Fr. Louis Hazboun

This project was completed in March 2021. The major beneficiaries fall into two categories: firstly 400 school students and their teachers will be able to undertake school-related Beir Zeit Hall - After activities like ceremonies, community gatherings, and lectures, in the hall. The second are the 1,500 Parishioners including youth, active members of church communities and societies, elderly people and scout troops will directly benefit from the newly rehabilitated hall. It will also provide them with a safe and welcoming environment to conduct all their activities, gatherings, and meetings..

Due to a substantial donation from the Lieutenancy, the construction works of a new annex building has been completed for Mafraq Latin School in Jordan. Before this project, the pupils of the Mafraq Latin Patriarchate schools had to continue their high school education in the neighboring villages and cities, this has been adding tremendous socioeconomic pressure on them and their parents. Thanks to this grant, now they can continue their high school education in their school, and they are no longer forced to be enrolled in non-Christian governmental schools that exclude Christian teaching from their syllabus.

The building included three classrooms for the 11th and 12th grades, a teachers’ room, and bathrooms. The building project concluded in October, 2021. The direct beneficiaries of the project are the students and youth of Mafraq who will not be obliged to move to another school outside the city for their high school education The project will open new job opportunities for teachers who will be teaching at the newly opened classes, and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem will be able to extent its pastoral and educational mission, Christian teaching and values.

In mid-year we decided to refurbish the Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception in Bir Zeit. The Church needed waterproofing and overall rehabilitation which we as a Lieutenancy committed to paying cUS$52,000. The insulation works at the Bir Zeit Church is in the bidding process; it is expected that the refurbishments works will commence in November or December.