By Celine Kelly

This bulletin comes to you at a particularly painful time for all of us who live in the Holy Land. Some people have wondered why we stayed here during this hard time of war and violence. Having the option to go elsewhere, we chose to stay as a prayerful presence, praying for the end of the war and accompanying the people who live here and the few pilgrims who continued to come, during these long months.

We are edified by the great example of our Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who spoke clearly of the sufferings inflicted by the war on both sides. He teaches us that the Church is there to help people find hope in the midst of violence, speaking the truth and denouncing evil. We must not become part of the struggle, because violence only begets violence. There needs to be openness and dialogue to find solutions.

As consecrated women, we want to be a witness of hope in the midst of this crisis. We do not have the task of those who have the political responsibility to seek just solutions and thus achieve peace. Our role is rather to remain on the sidelines of political discourse, to plant seeds of trust in God’s mercy, and, with his grace, to strive to be instruments of peace and reconciliation.

We thank everyone who has prayed for us and who has stayed in touch to support us over the past year and a half. We trust your prayers and hope to see our pilgrims return soon.