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Slide 1:

Beit Safafa

Slide 2:

Jerusalem, home of three great religions, lies just within the occupied West Bank of Israel. Beit Safafa is about halfway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, within three miles of Our Savior’s birthplace. It is claimed as home by both Israelis and Palestinians.

Slide 3:

This modest bit of real e state is the subject of bitter contention.

Slide 4:

Since Israel became independent in 1948, her population has increased significantly. With respect to ethnicities, the increase has been uneven.

Slide 5:

In the West Bank today, Arabs dominate the population figures...

Slide 6:

…but that will soon change.

Slide 7:

In this arid region, farmland is p rized, especially with more and more m ouths to feed every year. Competition for dwelling space is growing fierce.

Slide 8:

Jews and Palestinians e ach consider Israel to be t heir homeland, but the n umber of Arabs, whether Muslim or Christian, is r apidly dwindling.

Slide 9:

The West Bank, though under Palestinian authority, is occupied by Israeli troops...

Slide 10:

…whose mandate is to protect Jewish settlers.

Slide 11:

“The Wall” i s also intended f or protection.

Slide 12:

The wall snakes throughout the region. It divides townships, cuts across roadways a nd impedes travel for Palestinians who o ften cannot obtain permits to cross.

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Permits are required for the building of houses, too. The cost is high, too high f or most Palestinians, and processing an application can take years. Houses stand unfinished – empty. Families go homeless.

Slide 15:

Families may have lived in a d welling for generations, yet l ack ownership documentation. Then, their homes can be c laimed by someone else. EVICTED Traditional ownership agreements amongst Palestinians were often verbal. There is frequently no paper trail to prove ownership.

Slide 16:

The picture seems bleak.

Slide 17:

Palestinian Christians have lived in the Holy Land for millennia – since the time Jesus walked the land – since the time o ur Faith was born. They keep alive the Flame of Christianity in the Middle East. Now, like wild creatures in a shrinking habitat, they wonder how they can stay.

Slide 18:

Yet once before, out of seeming defeat arose triumph.

Slide 19:

Today, there is hope.

Slide 20:

We of Saint Bede Parish have been invited to help build a dream…

Slide 21:

On this site in Beit Safafa , the Israeli government has granted a building permit t o the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem for the construction of new homes for needy Palestinian Christian families.

Slide 22:

A miracle is taking shape.

Slide 23:

When the project is complete, t here will be eighty apartments r eady for couples and their extended families.

Slide 24:

The first three stages of construction are nearing completion.

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But there is much more to do, and money must be found.

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We can help with that.

Slide 27:

Write your check to: St. Bede Social Ministry. Put “ Beit Safafa ” in the memo line.

Slide 28:

Let us unite our prayers with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land…

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…for we know that if we ask, i t shall be given.

Slide 30:

May you be blessed in your giving! Saint Bede Church A Roman Catholic Community MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 5400 Williamsburg, VA 23188-5207