'...Then on the mountain plateau, a great procession took place. I saw our nuns, seculars and priests, souls of love. Jesus definitely wants something here’. Sr VALENTINA SALA, sja Provincial - Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition Sister Josephine Rumèbe, a French woman who entered our congregation, when she was in postulancy, during a Eucharistic adoration after Mass, looked up and instead of the monstrance, she saw these flames forming a mountain and above them Jesus shining like the sun. She knew neither that she would be destined for Jerusalem nor that she would arrive on the hill of Kiryat Yearim where the Ark of the Covenant has been kept for so long. For the restoration of the 100-year-old church, the Congregation of St Joseph of the Apparition invited the architects of the Ave Arte Centre in Florence. Sr. Claudette accompanied the work from the beginning, together with the local community. She explains how necessary this renovation was. Sr CLAUDETTE BAABOUN, sja Works Committee After mass I was walking around the church and saw stones on the floor. I looked up and noticed fractures in the ceiling. I spoke to the superior and then they contacted the engineer and the architects, who came to check. Three years marked by many obstacles, between the pandemic and the war, but for the architects the greatest challenge was to make the Charism of the Sisters of St Joseph and the biblical experience of this hill visible. ELENA DI TARANTO Architect - Florence Ave Art Centre We felt that this is a very important and very sacred place also for other religions, especially for the Jews. As the Ark of the Covenant was here, we reviewed and compared the design with experts in order to be more in respect and dialogue with this very deep culture, also of the Jews. The main changes were the roof structure, which used to be made of concrete is now made of wood. The construction of two emergency exits, now with the representation of two angels guarding the entrance, recalling the sign of the cherubs who guarded the ark of the Covenant. Finally, the apse, which used to be all white, now has an abstract decoration recalling the veil of the Temple opening in the presence of God. ELENA DI TARANTO Architect - Florence Ave Art Centre Two other completely new elements are the icons, made by Charles-Marie de Courtille, a French iconographic monk who wanted to work with the presence of the Ark of the Covenant and above the image of Mary. It recalls the icon of Our Lady of the Sign, Mary who has Jesus, precisely to give this continuity between the Ark of the Covenant and the dedication of this Church which is Mary the Ark of the Covenant. Another totally rebuilt part is the Blessed Sacrament chapel with the shrine joining the perpetual adoration chapel. Next to it are the tombs of members of the congregation, including that of Sr Josephine. The icon of St Joseph sleeping while the angel touches his heart, making him enter into the mystery of Mary becoming the Mother of God. For Chiara, such a beautiful result is due to the journey made together, of mutual listening between the professionals and the sisters. CHIARA SIGNORINO Architect - Florence Ave Art Centre It is certainly a privilege, because working in the land of Jesus has an extraordinary value. It was a meditation of its own, an entering, a penetrating into this land, but also through relationships. And to celebrate 100 years since the consecration of the church, in addition to the activities prepared in advance by the sisters, on Saturday 31 there was the Holy Mass of consecration of the new altar, presided over by His Beatitude, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Numerous bishops and local clergy, sisters and the many local faithful attended. H B Card PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins Climbing this mountain, which is a mountain blessed by the presence of the Lord, by the presence of God and his story of revelation, invites us to take a wide and long look at events and not to get lost in the dramatic present moment. We want to celebrate it in this way, in Mary, and also continuously today in the many ways of the Lord's presence in our midst. ALESSANDRO PERUGINI General project manager Jerusalem needs this, the people also need this. This is the place where, beyond the situations, beyond the challenges we have in this land, we can really stop, get in touch with God. And also experience the peace, the harmony, the beauty of the nature of this hill, now also with art. Read More