TAYBEH – On August 15, 2020, and on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Community Filhos de Maria officially handed over the administration functions of Beit Afram Elderly Home to the Institute Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matarà, the female branch of the Institute of Incarnate Word. On this occasion, a Holy Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa and con-celebrated by Fr. Johnny Abu Khalil, parish priest of Holy Redeemer, and some priests from the Institute of Incarnate Word who are serving in the Holy Land.

In preparation for the official handover on August 15, Mother Superior Sr. María Pía and Sr. María Alma arrived at the home on August 2 and worked with the Community of the Filhos de Maria to administer the place.

In a message on their Facebook page, the sisters, who chose Our Lady of Ephraim as the patroness of their house, thanked God for this blessing and asked for people’s prayers for the prosperity of their work.

The Beit Afram Elderly Home was established in 2005 by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Its mission is to offer a healthy environment for the elderly through its assistance of health care. Administered by the Patriarchate, the Home was overseen by the Community Filhos de Maria from 2011. The community was founded in Brazil and their mission consisted of bringing the Merciful Love of the Father to those who suffer physically, socially, psychologically and spiritually.

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem