Houses for Aboud 2008||About Aboud, and other useful information

The Diocese of East Anglia is linked with both the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Diocese of Battambang in Cambodia.  We are building bridges of faith and friendship with both communities.

On his return from a five-day visit to the Holy Land in January 2005, Bishop Michael said: ‘As Pope John Paul tells us, “the Holy Land needs bridges, not walls”. The Israeli authorities are building a massive ‘security wall’ or ‘separation barrier’ around the Palestinian areas.  Our Christian calling is to pull down walls and break down barriers, and instead to build bridges between all peoples and nations, whatever their faith. One way we can build bridges is to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, not only to visit the holy places but also to spend time with the people there.  Because of the developing links between our Diocese of East Anglia and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and between parishes in each diocese, we can visit the Christians of the Holy Land not as tourists but as friends, sharing their lives and seeing at first-hand something of the daily round of intimidation which is so often their lot.’

A growing number of parishes and communities in East Anglia are now linked with the Holy Land: 

St Ives  -  Aboud

Our Lady and English Martyrs, Cambridge  -  Bir Zeit

St Philip Howard, Cambridge  -    Taybeh

All Souls, Peterborough  -  Ramallah

Coastal Deanery - Zababdeh

St Edmund’s First School in Bury St Edmunds  -  school in Ain Arik

St Bede's Inter-Church School, Cambridge - School in Bir Zeit

Sudbury is sponsoring two students through Bethlehem University

Holy Apostles, Norwich, is sponsoring a student at the seminary at Beit Jala

The diocesan fundraising in 2005 was for Sister Sophie’s orphanage in Bethlehem.  In 2006, the diocese supported the furnishing of a community centre in Jenin.  The 2007 project was helping to re-roof the church in Zababdeh: about £13,000 was sent as half the cost.

2008 PROJECT - HOUSES FOR ABOUD

One of the major problems affecting the Christian community in the Holy Land is emigration. In 1900 Christians made up 17% of the population, today it is less than 2%. Many factors contribute to this problem but a major component is the lack of affordable accommodation. Three or four generations of one family can live in little more than four rooms and the possibility to build is often hampered by financial constraints due to the economic situation. Matters are made worse by the difficulty of obtaining permission to build even when the funds can be found.

There are a number of successful housing projects where people can rent low-cost housing which has been built by the Latin Patriarchate, the rental income goes towards the upkeep of the properties. If residents wish to purchase the property at a later date they have the opportunity to do so at a favourable rate.

One small village seriously affected by a housing shortage is Aboud, about 25kms from Ramallah in the West Bank. Christians make up about half the population of 3,000 with the rest being Moslems; there are good relations between both communities and they regularly share in events and feasts together. Recent land confiscations by the Israeli authorities have meant that over 35% of the village lands now lay behind the “security wall” and are inaccessible to the families who used to farm them. The economic situation is far from satisfactory with a large number of villagers presently without work. In this situation the lack of suitable and affordable housing can lead many families to consider leaving Palestine for negative reasons.

The Latin Patriarchate has identified 5 dunums of land (a dunum is 1000 square meters) on which to build around 40 dwellings along with infrastructure of roads and communal spaces. Local labour would be used to construct the housing project so the money would provide income to people in the village as well as giving them the opportunity to build something several of them may well end up owning.

An Italian Diocese has already indicated that it would like to help with this project. The first priority is to purchase the land at a cost of £25,000. The Diocese of East Anglia has adopted the purchase of the land as its project for 2008 and we have committed to raising at least half this cost, some £12,500. So this will be an Anglo-Italian cooperation, working together in service of the Holy Land.

CAN YOU HELP?

If you would like to make a contribution to the fund for Aboud, simply send a cheque made payable to 'RC Diocese of East Anglia', with a letter making clear where you would like your donation to go. Post it to:

Bishop Michael, ‘Building Bridges in Aboud’, 21 Upgate, Poringland, Norwich, Norfolk NR14

BITS AND PIECES

For more information on the village of Aboud, go to:

http://www.sacredheart-stives.org/info/holyland.html#AboudSchool

http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/Documents/ME/Lansu_%20Aboud_village.pdf

http://www.leicester-holyland.org.uk/Aridah2006.htm



Want to say the Lord's Prayer in Arabic? Go to:

http://www.sacredheart-stives.org/info/arabourfather.htm


The Patron Saint of England is a Palestinian
As we think about England's links with the Holy Land, we would do well to remember that St George was probably a Palestinian, martyred in Lydda around 300 A.D.
For a fascinating view in St george as a saint who appeals to both Christians and Muslims, see:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BwVo910B3bk