HE Mgr GIACINTO BOULOS MARCUZZO Patriarchal Vicar for the Latins – Jerusalem "This year we celebrate the centenary of the consecration of the Diocese, of the whole church,(...) It was July 15, 1920. Patriarch Barlassina was appointed Patriarch of Jerusalem and on that date he made his solemn entrance to the Holy Sepulchre. And during that entrance rite, in front of the Holy Sepulcher he consecrated "Palestine" under the protection of Our Lady, Queen of Palestine." The place chosen to erect the Sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary was Deir Rafat, halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in one of the regions of ancient Palestine, theater of Samson's most famous enterprises. The construction of the Sanctuary, designed by Maurizio Gisler (1855-1940), Benedictine of the Dormition Abbey of Jerusalem, began in 1925 and was inaugurated by Monsignor Barlassina himself in 1928. The church is in the center, surrounded by two buildings to the east and west. On the facade, the dedication, written in Latin "Queen of Palestine". HE Mgr GIACINTO BOULOS MARCUZZO Vicar "In 1928 this beautiful feast was officially celebrated for the first time on the last Sunday of October. In 1933 the Pope approved the title of Virgin Mary "Queen of Palestine". It was instead in 35 - 36 that the liturgy for the feast was approved, and in 1994 the Pope gave this title of Our Lady, thus becoming Patroness, to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem." On the occasion of the consecration of the diocese to Mary, Bishop Barlassina composed the prayer to Our Lady Queen of Palestine. HE Mgr GIACINTO BOULOS MARCUZZO Vicar "He asked that this prayer be said in all the rites of the blessing of the Blessed Sacrament, which are done in parishes and religious communities; a habit that in some parishes, religious houses, has remained until today." In the sanctuary of Deir Rafat the vault and walls were painted, as were the doors, with the greeting of the archangel Gabriel. Of the 404 translations of local idioms, from the most common praise to Mary, 280 were chosen. HE Mgr GIACINTO BOULOS MARCUZZO Vicar "A prayer card of Our Lady of Palestine was made, it's beautiful. A Franciscan nun made this image - which we know well - and it can be seen that Our Lady blesses all the Holy Land, from Mount Carmel - Haifa - to Jerusalem. You can see Mount Carmel and Jerusalem in this image. And it is precisely the symbolic image of this feast." HE Mgr GIACINTO BOULOS MARCUZZO Vicar "Our Lady, may Our Lady protect us from this pandemic that makes us suffer but gives us the opportunity to be closer to God, to ourselves and to one another." Read More