Welcome and Sent

March 6th 2024 - Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

The pastoral service of Notre Dame Center serves many foreigners who live in Jerusalem for a few years and find here a place to cultivate their faith. Some of them take advantage of these years to prepare to receive a sacrament, grow in their path as a believer, or even, as happened this year, complete a long journey of searching and be received into the Catholic Church.

On Sunday, February 11, Mons. Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio, imparted the Sacrament of Confirmation to three people who regularly attend liturgical life at Notre Dame. One of the three confirmation candidates entered the Catholic Church from a Protestant background. She had started her “Journey Home” (in her own words) five years ago. After living in the Holy Land, she was convinced that this was the path the Holy Spirit was leading her.

Mons. Yllana's homily gave the celebration an orientation of profound joy, welcome and sending to the world as witnesses of Christ, of His ability to heal, strengthen and encourage the exercise of mercy.

And after the Mass there was no shortage of cake from the ovens of Notre Dame, on which some “good hand” wrote “Blessed Confirmation” in chocolate. Yes, it was a blessed moment, in which the grace of God, living and active, renewed us all to be His witnesses.