On Friday, June 17, 2022, the Catholic Church in Jordan marked the annual pilgrimage to the grotto of Blessed Mary, namely "Our Lady of the Mount" in the town of Anjara, Ajloun Governorate. This grotto is considered one of the most prominent and main sites for Christian pilgrimage after it was endorsed 22 years ago by the local Church, the Vatican Pilgrimage Department, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Jordan Tourism Board.

This religious celebration was presided by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa with the participation of the Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Bishop Jamal Daibes, who is participating for the first time in this annual pilgrimage after his recent episcopal ordination, in addition to parish priest Fr. Yousef Francis, in the presence of a number of priests, nuns, civil and diplomatic personnel, as well as a large number of the believers who came from various parts of Jordan.

At the outset of the Holy Mass, Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader welcomed His Beatitude Patriarch Pizzaballa and those present on behalf of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word that oversees the grotto. As the Jordanian extended family marks several national celebrations nowadays, Fr. Bader lifted up prayers for Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II and Crown Prince His Highness Prince Hussein Ibn Abdullah II. He also thanked the Ajloun Governorate, as well as all the tourist and security apparatuses that have contributed to the arrangements with the parishioners of Our Lady of the Mount in Anjara to mark this beautiful annual tradition.

Marking the celebration, Patriarch Pizzaballa stressed that the presence of Almighty God does not lie in miraculous and extraordinary affairs, but can rather be felt in daily life and in simple activities, noting that this view cannot be fulfilled until it is common, namely by being shared in the presence of others. He also lifted up prayers for the extended Jordanian family, including Christians and Muslims, and for the civil authorities so as to always work in the direction of consolidating the ties among the members of this extended family.

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During the Holy Mass, which was celebrated in the presence of the Choir of Our Lady of the Mount led by Rabi' Haddad and the scouts of the Latin Monastery in Husun, prayers were said for maintaining stability in Jordan, as well as for the establishment of unity and peace in the world and the Middle East, including Palestine and the Holy City of Jerusalem in particular, so that the Lord would pour out His abundant grace by transferring hate into love, and revenge into forgiveness, whereby peace would overflow in hearts, and justice would be achieved among countries and peoples. The believers also lifted up their prayers for all families so as to remain faithful to their mission by instilling noble human values.

Anjara is located in the hills of Gilead, east of the Jordan valley where several events mentioned in the Holy Bible took place. This pilgrimage was launched by Fr. Yousef Ne’mat, a priest of the Latin Patriarchate, who built the first sanctuary in memory of the passing of Lord Jesus Christ in this place. Fr. Ne’mat brought a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Jerusalem and enthroned it in the shrine. The carved-wood statue is perhaps 150-200 years old and was made in Italy. As soon as the statue was placed, things started happening with what God is saying to us.