"Where are the other two billion Christians?
Don't they care what is happening to us?"
This is the recent cry of a Palestinian Christian. It could well have
been the weak cry of Rita Tabash. She is seriously ill with cancer.
Every time she has to go for chemo treatments, she must wait for hours
at the checkpoint before entering the area where the hospital is located.
Weak from her chemo session, she must wait again for hours at the checkpoint
before she can return home.
Does anybody care?
The lives of Palestinian Christians in the Bethlehem and Jerusalem areas
are severely disrupted. They are kept prisoners in their homes or villages.
They are unable to work and provide the basic necessities of life for
their families. The death sentence has been passed against them. They
either die from lack of care or food, or they are shot if they protest.
Does anybody care?
Many Christians do care!
Through the help of Dominican Sisters and Friars we can send a message
of solidarity and hope. Some families in the Bethlehem and Jerusalem
areas make olive wood rosaries for sale to tourists who no longer visit
there. We can help them sell their work. We ask for a donation of €
2 (two Euro) or $2 (two dollars) for every rosary ordered. This covers
the cost of making and mailing the beads. All the money donated will
go directly to the rosary makers, who are all friends of the Dominicans
there.
Say that you care!
Fr. Giuseppe Sabato op, provincial of the Province St. Thomas Aquinas
in Italy, said he cares, and ordered 3000 rosaries for a Rosary pilgrimage
to Lourdes he is organising. We were apologetic to our friends in the
Holy Land when we asked for so many rosaries on such a short notice.
Victor, our contact, replied: "You have no idea what this means
to so many families in Bethlehem. This is not just providing money,
it is providing WORK, and that is what we need even more than money".
Say that you care!
Buy some of these rosaries and distribute them to friends with a call
to pray the Rosary asking for peace in the Holy Land. We Dominicans
are happy to repeat that the Rosary brings us God's Word spoken between
Bethlehem and Jerusalem. He tells humankind: "I care!" These
rosary beads that we use send the same clear message of solidarity.
Through them we say: "We do care!"
You can offer these rosaries as gifts on important occasions such as
First Communions, Confirmations, Graduations or pilgrimages. Only creativity
and generosity set the limits. While making these rosary beads, our
friends will feel deep in their hearts that we heard of their plight
and that we care about them.
For further information please contact:
Dominican Sisters (dsi@curia.op.org) or
Dominican Friars (adrianostambe@hotmail.com).
We thank you for your kind attention and support.
Margaret Ormond, OP
International Coordinator of DSI
Joao Xerri, OP
General Promoter- Justice and Peace