| Palestinian Solidarity Project Update 2004 | |
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| PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY PROJECT | |
OUR PALESTINIAN ROSARY PROJECT CONTINUES AND EXPANDS Over the last months the outlook of Palestinians in the Holy Land has dimmed considerably. As Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said in his Palm Sunday address of 2004, there are "those mad and irrational events that are the daily bread" of the Palestinian people. These daily events are not only destroying lives and property and hope, but they are crippling "human hearts and their capacity to love." It is essential that the world recognize the plight of both peoples caught up in this conflict, but the need is far greater among Palestinians, and especially Palestinian Christians. Truly, they are among the most neglected. They represent less than 5% of the population of the Holy Land ; this means that if you had a group of 200 people from the Holy Land , only ONE would be a Palestinian Christian. Because of their minority status, they are virtually ignored by the media. However, they are subjected to the same difficulties and sufferings caused by the war and by the Israeli government with its roadblocks and curfews that prevent them from supporting their families. These Palestinian Christians usually earn a living by carving olive wood crèche sets and rosary beads that they sell to the pilgrims. For the last three years, there has been almost no tourism in Israel , and the Palestinians are virtually starving. We Catholics must give to our Palestinian sisters and brothers a basis for hope, a sense of solidarity and a recognition of their essential dignity. The Rosary Project, sponsored by the Dominicans of Santa Sabina, is one small but significant step in this direction. It reminds our Palestinian sisters and brothers that we are united with them in prayer, that we are helping them in their struggle for economic survival, and that we want these hand-crafted rosaries to be a means of restoring their sense of human dignity. The Rosary Project is reaching out to crippled human hearts and restoring their capacity to love. The Dominican Family throughout the world circulated approximately 200,000 rosaries around the world. A youth group in Budapest , Hungary painted pictures on Christmas eve for "their family” in Palestine and prayed the rosaries for peace in the Holy Land . The lay Dominicans in England and Ireland are going from parish to parish preaching about the plight of the Palestinians and inviting the parishioners to join in this prayer crusade. A young Dominican volunteer in the United States , in collaboration with a Dominican sister there, is canvassing all the book stores in the Motherhouses of the Dominican sisters, encouraging them to offer our rosaries there. A friar in Belgium is circulating these rosaries among university students there. And the stories continue! We are employing about 20 people, mostly women (not just Christian!), who are engaged in making rosaries daily. As these women often say, "Please thank your people for giving us back our dignity." We have been able to provide improved equipment for these workers as well as to enable some of them to attend university. We work closely with three managers and fr. Donald Moore, SJ from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem . We are hoping to provide each young person who attends the International World Youth meeting in Cologne in 2005 with a rosary made by our Palestinian sisters and brothers. This Rosary Project continues and hopes to expand through your support. Can you think of ways to spread this worthy project among your friends and be a source of solidarity for our Palestinian Christian sisters and brothers? |
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For further information please contact : Dominican Friars ( adrianostambe@hotmail.com ) or Dominican Sisters International ( dsi@curia.op.org ) |
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ORDER FORM Name: I want to order ___________ rosaries to be sent to the above address or this address: Please make out your check to PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY FUND and send to: (You can also send your request by e-mail) |
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