Sr Bridget Tighe Chai Brady, Ruadhán Jones and Jason Osborne
An Irish nun who works with struggling Christians in the Holy Land has said that the community will make the most of Christmas despite the fact that there will be no pilgrims this year.
“It will be hopeful and it will be joyful and it’ll be family-based, but it will be so different from other Christmases,” according to Sr Bridget Tighe.
Most Christian families in towns like Bethlehem rely almost entirely on pilgrims for their livelihoods and there have been none since March leaving many families destitute. “The reality is there’s no income,” Sr Bridget said, insisting that the Church is stepping up efforts to ensure people have a good Christmas. “The churches help a lot – they get food coupons and all kinds of things…if there are really poor families who cannot afford many gifts for their children, these organisations buy gifts for the children and they dress up as Santa Claus and they knock on the door and give them gifts.
“So Christmas will not be dismal for them,” she told The Irish Catholic.
David Tabash is a Christian shopkeeper. He said that local people miss the presence of the pilgrims and the solidarity in brings. “There’s normally tens of thousands attending the lighting of the [Christmas] tree beside the Nativity Church…but this year it was empty,” he said of the December 4 event.
“As Christians, we’re a minority. Of four million Palestinians, there are 40,000 Christians and about 80% of these work in tourism, in shops, hotels, olivewood workshops,” he said.
“We’re the worst-affected and we’ll be the slowest to heal,” he says of the Christian community. However, while he is devastated by the consequences of the pandemic and the lockdown his faith is strong. “God is good. We keep praying”.
He is conscious that the Church is working hard to ensure that people do not go without. “The priests’ phone is ringing all day with requests for food, medicine, clothes,” he told The Irish Catholic.
Nabil Hazboun is a Christian guide who will be familiar to anyone who has participated on a pilgrimage organised by The Irish Catholic. “The situation as Christmas approaches is really terrible. Bethlehem relies on pilgrims all over the year, there are some seasons when the number of pilgrims is less but many would come at Christmas.
Louis Michel another Christian shopkeeper said that faith has been important in sustaining people. “Our Christian faith has helped us a lot…it makes us closer to God and we continue to pray with deep faith during this difficult time as we cannot guess when it will go away,” he said.
Mr Hazboun said he is hopeful for a brighter future but is putting his trust firmly in God. “My message to the world is to have hope in our Creator, in our God, in Jesus Christ. Once you have this faith inside yourself you can see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
David Tabash is a Christian shopkeeper. He said that local people miss the presence of the pilgrims and the solidarity in brings. “There’s normally tens of thousands attending the lighting of the [Christmas] tree beside the Nativity Church…but this year it was empty,” he said of the December 4 event.
“As Christians, we’re a minority. Of four million Palestinians, there are 40,000 Christians and about 80% of these work in tourism, in shops, hotels, olivewood workshops,” he said.
“We’re the worst-affected and we’ll be the slowest to heal,” he says of the Christian community. However, while he is devastated by the consequences of the pandemic and the lockdown his faith is strong. “God is good. We keep praying”.
He is conscious that the Church is working hard to ensure that people do not go without. “The priests’ phone is ringing all day with requests for food, medicine, clothes,” he told The Irish Catholic.
Nabil Hazboun is a Christian guide who will be familiar to anyone who has participated on a pilgrimage organised by The Irish Catholic. “The situation as Christmas approaches is really terrible. Bethlehem relies on pilgrims all over the year, there are some seasons when the number of pilgrims is less but many would come at Christmas.
Louis Michel another Christian shopkeeper said that faith has been important in sustaining people. “Our Christian faith has helped us a lot…it makes us closer to God and we continue to pray with deep faith during this difficult time as we cannot guess when it will go away,” he said.
Mr Hazboun said he is hopeful for a brighter future but is putting his trust firmly in God. “My message to the world is to have hope in our Creator, in our God, in Jesus Christ. Once you have this faith inside yourself you can see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.