Attendance

Fr. Ibrahim Faltas, parish priest of Jerusalem concelebrated the mass, together with Fr. William Shomali, rector of the Latin Patriarchate Seminary, as well as Fr. Ibrahim Shomali, with parish clergy, and a crowd of faithful, as well as the church choir.

Fr. Faltas addressed words of farewell to the Patriarch, expressing his gratitude, and wishing him good health and wellness. He also spoke about the Patriarch accomplishments, and his leading role in serving all Christians.

His Beatitude Michael Sabbah greeted in his word, the three invited candidates, to receive the Holy Orders of lector and acolyte, mentioning that it is the first time submitted to laymen. He also explained their duties towards the church, helping the priest throughout the mass, and transferring the teachings of the Gospel to the faithful, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. His Beatitude delivered the Holy Bible and the Holy Chalice to each candidate, symbols of faith in transferring the word of God, and the body of Christ.

At the end, Patriarch Michael Sabbah mentioned the role of Christians in the Holy Land is to love their enemies, as an initial step to accommodate with the other. He also called for continuing the efforts, to achieve our deprived rights through peaceful dialogue, pointing to strive for peaceful co-existence with both Palestinian and an Israeli states.

In conclusion, Mr Adel Moghrabi, presented on behalf of the parish priest, a short poem entitled ''A Story of a Man'', in which he paid tribute to Patriarch Michael Sabbah, for his wise leadership of the church of Jerusalem during the twenty years. A memorial engraved gift, of the poem, was presented to his Beatitude, as an expression of his distinctive giving. After the mass, a reception was held at the convent hall, where the faithful exchanged greetings.