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Patriarch Michael Sabbah with the Hebrew-Speaking Catholic Community |
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11-06-2008 |
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The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michael Sabbah has visited the Hebrew-speaking Catholic community (Kahilla), last Sunday, the 1st of June, 2008, to celebrate a final mass in the community chapel in Jerusalem, for the last time, before retiring from the service of the Patriarchate that he has led for more than 20 years.
The group received his Beatitude warmly, and expressed their joy for his presence. Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Custos of the Holy Land, participated in the mass, with a number of priests, including Franciscan Fr. Apollinaris Swed,؛ and Jesuit Fr. David Neuhaus, as well as a group of faithful, and the community choir. After the mass, Fr. Pierbattista addressed words of farewell to the Patriarch, by expressing his gratitude being the first Patriarch who celebrates the mass in fluent Hebrew. He also thanked the Patriarch for his wise leadership of the church of Jerusalem, during the past years. At the end, three representatives of the (Kahilla) presented the Patriarch gifts of appreciation, and wished him good health and wellness. |
