Over the past two months, the Family Center of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in collaboration with the Anar Association for Empowerment and Psychosocial Support, organized a 12-hour course, held once a week for two hours. The course aimed to train a group of committed families to assist parish priests in forming family-focused pastoral groups and provide them with the necessary tools to address and alleviate the challenges and concerns faced by parish families.

Parishioners from Beit Jala, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem attended the course, participating in all sessions with dedication. These sessions enriched the attendees, providing them with the knowledge, skills, and experience to address potential cases and engage in the spiritual and psychological exercises required for their future responsibilities.

The sessions were tailored for married couples, with both spouses taking part. The Anar Association focused on providing psychosocial support for couples, while the Family Center offered biblical teachings and introduced new methods for reading and reflecting on biblical passages.

The graduation ceremony for this cohort took place on Tuesday evening, October 29th, 2024, at the Beit Jala Seminary. The celebration began with the praying of vespers alongside the families, priests, religious sisters, and seminarians. After the prayer, participation certificates were handed out to the families. Additionally, Mr. Wassim Kasabra and his family gave each family a candle adorned with an image of the Holy Family, serving as a reminder to embody the virtues of the Holy Family within their homes.

This marks the successful completion of the first course of its kind, forming well-prepared family committees in the Latin parishes mentioned. However, this is only the start. The Family Center is now preparing to offer a similar program for families in the parishes of Ramallah and the northern governorates, in partnership with the parish priests.