The Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Jabal Luwaibdeh, Amman, has marked its diamond jubilee, namely the 60th anniversary of its construction.

Marking the anniversary, on Friday, September 30, Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Bishop Jamal Daibes celebrated Holy Mass at the church which was concelebrated by parish priest  Fr. Adnan Bader, in the presence of a number of priests and nuns, parishioners, and a large number of people from various parts of Jordan.

In his homily, Fr. Adnan Bader said, "Joy fills our hearts as we thank the Almighty Lord for His blessings and gifts while we honor the Virgin Mother, the Lady of the Annunciation, and glorify the Lord with Her." He added that numerous generations have prayed in this church as they have been the living stones where they loved Lord Jesus Christ, and loved His house.”

He added, "The church implies the permanent presence of Lord Jesus Christ, and thus it is the appropriate place for prayer and the proclamation of faith. The faithful attending the Holy Mass today is nothing but a living testimony of their love for their parishioners and a clear image of their belonging to their church." Fr. Adnan Bader mentioned in his homily all the priests and nuns who served the church, pleaded divine mercy for the deceased, as well as well as prayed for those who adopted the idea of ​​building the church at the foot of the ancient  Jabal Luweibdeh including the late Wasef Bisharat, his wife Salma Salti  Bisharat, and their daughter Najla' Wasef Bisharat.

In his homily Bishop Daibes said that the diamond jubilee celebration indicates that the church undergoes regular rejuvenation, and the presence of the parishioners gives cogent evidence that the church provides spiritual rejuvenation to all the believers. He pointed out that the Church bears the name of the annunciation implying a message that this parish will continue to carry the message of the vibrant and renewed good news in the lives of all believers. He stressed that “the church is the great spiritual home for all the parishioners, as it gathers them together to be one family in order to obtain the Lord’s grace through the Holy Sacraments.''

Bishop Daibes called in his homily to maintain this church as “a living place by God’s grace and in the presence of the faithful so as to proceed together as one family.” He added that diamond jubilee’s message implies “a rejuvenation of the grace of Lord Jesus, and a renewal of our commitment to live as one family that conveys the Christian faith from one generation to the other.''

It is worthy to note that the late Patriarch Alberto Gori blessed the foundation stone of the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Jabal Al-Weibdeh in 1961. It was consecrated in 1963 and built by the generous donation of the late Mr. Wasef Bisharat, a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher in Jordan. The church later became the headquarters of the Patriarchal Vicar in Jordan from 1965 to 1991 before moving to Sweifieh. The parish is very active with its councils, youth movements, fraternities, scouts and choir. Also located in the parish is the office of Caritas Jordan.