By Celine Kelly

We begin a series on the saints of the Holy Land. We hope that each one’s example will help you to draw closer to Jesus.

St. Mariam of Jesus Crucified

A few months ago, the foundation stone of the St. Mariam Baouardy spirituality center was laid and blessed, in I’billin, Galilee, where she was born, about 40 km from Magdala. Melkite Archbishop Youssef Matta stressed that the center will be a space for interreligious dialogue for peace and respect.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa expressed his hope that this place will become a spiritual reference for local people and people around the world who love Jesus Christ after the example of St. Mariam.

But who was St. Mariam?

Since she was a child she had a great love for Jesus in the Eucharist. She was always attentive to God’s voice and learned to discern His will. She entered the Carmelite convent where she was called Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified. He was distinguished by his humility. He called himself “little nothing”. He invited people to look up at the sky in the midst of the tumult of life’s affairs.