In a time of great suffering and death in one part of the Holy Land, the renewal of a church nearby was a sign of great hope and new life.
A Catholic church that sits on the hill of Kiryat Yearim, where the Ark of the Covenant rested for 20 years, was reopened at the end of August following a two-year renovation. The Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant was also marking its centenary.
The church, which is about 10 miles northwest of Jerusalem, was built by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition in 1924.
During the centennial Mass, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, emphasized the renewal of faith and trust in God symbolized by the reopening of a church and the dedication of a new altar. The event marked “a bright glimpse into the future for the life of our Church and our people,” he said in a homily.
“In this context of war, where everything seems to talk of closure and of end, it seems to me that it can be said that our Church today, here, in this place, also thanks to our Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, is renewing her ‘yes’ by uniting it to that of Mary, the Ark of the Covenant, and renewing her trust in the work of God, the Lord of history.”
Catholic tradition likens Mary, who bore Jesus Christ – the New Covenant – in her womb, to the Ark of the Covenant that contained the Tablets of the Law. The vessel was carried by the ancient Israelites during their 40 years of wandering through the desert.
Be patient, as Mary was
The website of the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant notes that 1 Samuel 7:1-2 recounts how the people of Israel turned back to the Lord during the 20 years when the Ark of the Covenant was kept at Kiryat Yearim. It says the ark was kept there after a plague in Beth Shemesh and before being moved to Jerusalem.
Strategically positioned between Jerusalem and the Mediterranean Sea, the Hill of Kiryat Yearim served as a vital boundary marker in ancient times. The name "Kiryat Yearim" is derived from Hebrew, meaning "Town of Forests" or "City of Woods," reflecting the area’s lush surroundings. Historically, Kiryat Yearim was part of the territory allocated to the tribe of Judah and was also known as Kiriath-Jearim or Baale-Judah, names that underscore its significance in the region's history and culture.
Cardinal Pizzaballa urged believers to embrace patience, obedience, and hope in God's plan, even amid the current struggles and uncertainties in the Gaza Strip and in the region generally.
“Mary teaches us to enter the time of gestation, a time of patience, silence and waiting,” the patriarch said. “The things of man are done in an instant, the things of God take time and come slowly: a long gestation is necessary for the new thing to be born.”
Hundreds of faithful from across the Diocese of Jerusalem attended the celebration, which began with the cardinal’s blessing of the 100-year-old newly renovated door, made to resemble both the presence of God in the Burning Bush and the Resurrection of Jesus from the tomb.
Pizzaballa anointed the new altar, symbolizing Christ’s presence among the faithful, with chrism, echoing the anointing of Christ's body with spices. Incense was poured to signify Christ's divinity, after which the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition adorned the altar with linen, flowers, and sacred vessels in preparation for Mass.
The church features a sculpture of Mary with the infant Jesus and a 5th-century mosaic floor from a Byzantine basilica. Archaeological excavations between 2017 and 2019 revealed large retaining walls from the 8th century BC, suggesting that Kiryat Yearim was an important cultic center. Roman inscriptions within the church indicate a Roman presence between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD.
A monastery maintained by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, is open to visitors and offers panoramic views of Jerusalem.
Also present for the centenary celebration and dedication of the new altar were Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris; Giacinto Bolous-Marcuzzo, Bishop Emeritus of Jerusalem; and Nicolas Kassianides, the French Consul General in Jerusalem.
