On Sunday, August 17, 2025, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the solemn celebration of the perpetual profession of vows for Sr. Sarah Kathia, from Iraq, joining the Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition.

The Mass took place at St. Catherine’s Church in Bethlehem, joined by Msgr. Boulos Marcuzzo, Fr. Rami Asakreh, parish priest of Bethlehem, and several other priests. Sisters of St. Joseph from across the region traveled to witness and share this sacred moment in Sr. Sarah’s journey of answering God’s call to religious life.

The faithful of Bethlehem filled the church, surrounding Sr. Sarah with their prayers and joy, as she vowed her life to Christ in the service of the Church and the people of the Holy Land. Presenting herself before the Patriarch, she declared: “Counting on the love and grace of God, I ask to follow Christ in the Apostolic religious life, in the congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition.” Cardinal Pizzaballa reminded her that this call is sustained only by God’s grace, after which she publicly affirmed her readiness to live as a servant and witness to His love.

A homily on the Fire of the Spirit

In his homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa reflected on the nature of consecrated life as a gift rather than a loss:
“To consecrate your life to God does not mean losing something, but rather gaining something greater. You are a daughter of this Holy Land, and we hope that your consecration today will inspire others to answer God’s call.”

Drawing on the biblical image of fire, he spoke of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the faithful:
“The fire Christ speaks of is not one that destroys, but one that gives warmth and life. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came as fire, a fire that renews and strengthens. When I enter a parish, I can often sense whether this fire is alive. Sometimes we Christians lose sight of it, but we are always in need of it.”

Addressing Sr. Sarah directly, he added:
“I believe this same fire of God moved you to leave your homeland and come to this land, marked by trials and struggles. When God’s fire burns in the heart, we begin to think differently—no longer with the criteria of the world of money, home, or possessions, but with the freedom of those who have chosen Jesus as their treasure.”

A life fully given to Christ

Following the homily, the rite of perpetual profession began. Cardinal Pizzaballa questioned Sr. Sarah on her readiness to follow Christ freely and wholeheartedly: in poverty, after the example of the Lord who emptied himself to share our humanity; in obedience, entrusting her life into the Father’s hands as Christ himself did; and in chastity, making of her whole life a gift of love to the Lord.

With joy, she pledged to live according to the spirit and mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition. The Litany of the Saints was then sung, as the Church on earth united its prayer with that of heaven, invoking the intercession of the saints for her new consecrated life.

As a sign of her covenant, Sr. Sarah received the ring of perpetual profession and, together with Provincial Superior Sr. Valentina Salah and Cardinal Pizzaballa, signed the register upon the altar. The rite concluded with the solemn blessing of the newly professed sister, marking the beginning of her lifelong consecration to Christ.

A sister’s testimony

At the close of the Mass, Sr. Sarah addressed the assembly with gratitude and humility:
“Pray for me so that I may remain faithful to my vocation and to the calling I have received.”

She gave thanks to all who had accompanied her on this journey, especially her family, who believed in her and supported her with their prayers, and who followed this joyful moment through the livestream.

The celebration concluded with hymns of thanksgiving, as the parish community embraced Sr. Sarah, congratulating her and rejoicing in her witness of love and faith in the heart of Bethlehem.