Lit candles gradually pierce through the darkness of Saint Stephen’s Chapel and light up the frescoes: the stoning of the first martyr, the agony of Jesus, his arrest on the Mount of Olives. On December 26, the feast of St. Stephen, was celebrated right in the place of his martyrdom in Jerusalem, which is celebrated on [...]
BETHLEHEM (CNS) -- For the first time in 26 years, Lilian and Nadeem Aqleh had all six of their children with them to celebrate Christmas. "This is the happiest day of my life," said Lilian, 70, who is Catholic, as she celebrated the holiday with her children and grandchildren, some of who traveled from the United [...]
BEIRUT (CNS) -- Lamenting the exodus of Christians from their ancestral homelands, Catholic patriarchs of the Middle East pleaded for peace and security in their annual Christmas messages. In separate statements, the prelates shared their anguish regarding the persecution and uprooting of Christians from the region. Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of Maronite Catholics, appealed to the [...]
Increasingly decimated, the Christian population of Bethlehem experiences the challenge of keeping the Christian presence in the city where Jesus was born. Yousef and Manal have been married for 13 years and have 4 children. They are Christian, they were all born and live in Bethlehem.