LATIN PATRIARCHATE
OF JERUSALEM
PROJECT PROPOSAL
rehabilitation work OF our lady of woman of
valor pastoral center -tel aviv - israel
GA 026/15
General Administration
Project Development Office
october 2015
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rehabilitation work of pastoral center - tel aviv - israel
THE LATIN PATRIARCHATE
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (LPJ) was restored in 1847; its main goal is to promote the best
interest of the local communities it serves in. Today, the Patriarchal Diocese oversees about 90,000
faithful in four countries, including the Galilee, The Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Cyprus, covering
a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, religions and traditions. Serving all with special emphasis on
the support and care of indigenous Holy Land Christians remains the enduring mission of the Mother
Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
INTRODUCTION
The Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel
The Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel, is part of the Latin Patriarchate
of Jerusalem, which gathers the Hebrew-speaking Catholics who live in Israel, those belonging to
the Jewish people together with those coming from the nations, including a growing number of local
Christians and migrants. It forms one community in Jesus Christ and belongs to one Church, in union
with Pope Francis and also at home in Israeli Jewish, Hebrew speaking society.
Today, Hebrew speaking communities are active in the six major Israeli cities: Jerusalem, Tel AvivJaffa, Haifa, Beer Sheba, Tiberias and Nazareth. The Vicariate includes communities of Russian
speaking faithful too. The Vicariate nurtures Hebrew-speaking Catholic communities, including
Russian speaking, for Catholic believers who are Jewish or non-Jewish residents integrated into Israeli
society. Constituting a Catholic minority within a society that has a Jewish majority is a new experience
in the history of the Church.
The Vicariate has a special mission to the tens of thousands of Catholic migrants (migrant workers
and refugees) who reside in Israel, in Hebrew speaking Jewish society. The priests and faithful of the
Vicariate work closely with the Coordination of the Pastoral for Migrants in Israel, ensuring the pastoral
and catechetical service of the large Roman Catholic migrant communities spread throughout the
country.
Our Lady Woman of Valor Pastoral Center grew out of the presence of a Filipino Community that was
founded in south Tel Aviv in 2009 and began to rent a local for Mass. In 2012, the Assembly of Catholic
Ordinaries of the Holy Land gave the green light for the development of a project to establish a pastoral
center in south Tel Aviv.
The center has a chapel, large meeting room which serves as a crèche and a roof top. There is at least
one Mass daily and seven regular Sunday Masses and other Masses and prayer services organized
by priests and pastoral workers of the various chaplaincies.
Catechism instructions, seminars and workshops are organized and held by the different migrant
communities to prepare the faithful for the sacraments and share and discuss the realities of life on a
practical level.
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The Center offers Catholic formation for the Hebrew-speaking children of migrants who are encouraged
to find their place within Israeli society and within the Church. It is a home away from home for
many migrant children, whose parents work long hours, assuring their wellbeing and their religious
formation. Infant care and after-school program are also available in a safe environment with adult
supervision. Children camps are also organized in the summer.
The presence of the priests and men and women religious reinforces the Center’s listening and
counseling outreach to migrants which is particularly important in this dominantly women population.
Consoling, encouraging and strengthening them in the many challenges and struggles is important in
their day to day life.
The Pastoral Coordination is seeking to address the lack of proper health social benefits for migrants
who do not have sufficient medical care coverage, by undertaking a project that will provide a temporary
place and support for the sick, who have nowhere to go during their time of recuperation.
LOCATION /DEMOGRAPHICS
• Total population Israel is about: 8 million
• Christian Migrants population in Israel: 150.000
• Christian Migrants in Tel Aviv: 50.000
• Roman Catholic center attendees per week: 3.000
NEEDS
The conditions of the building were extremely unhealthy and unsafe, especially due to the accumulated
humidity and natural deterioration of the external facades, resulting from lack of maintenance and
external factors.
During the month of May 2015, work was done to insulate the building and resurface the entire faced
of the building. The work was necessary after a winter in which the building suffered water damage
and in numerous places there was penetration of water into the interior, causing flooding and structural
damages.
The amount of NIS 330.000 was borrowed from a private source (with no interest), in order to attend
this very urgent need. This proposal aims to reach out to the LPJ benefactors and donors, so the
Hebrew Speaking Vicariate is able to reimburse these funds duly.
BENEFICIARIES
The primary beneficiaries of this Center are the migrant workers from Southeast Asian countries
(Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, etc) and asylum seekers from Africa (Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia, etc), who
avail of the services offered at the Center for adults and children and a place which they can consider
a home for celebrations and a place of refuge.
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SCOPE OF WORK - COMPLETED
The following were the necessary stages in the work, which were carried out for over a month period.
• Scaffolding contractor erected scaffolding around the building.
• Removing of the entire old envelope on the outer façade of the building.
• Waterproofing by means of a new envelope in 4 layers: cement, concrete plaster, primer, colored
plastic plaster.
• Finishings for the new envelope.
• Above and under water and electricity tunneling.
• Replacing all gutters.
• Cleaning and painting.
• Removing waste.
• Repairing all balconies, including replacing and adhesion of all marble thresholds.
• Fixing and repainting stairway.
• Casting and cement reframing plaster windows frame.
PROPOSED BUDGET
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PHOTOS
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LATIN PATRIARCHATE
OF JERUSALEM
Rev. Fr. Imad Twal
General Administrator
General Administration Office
Jaffa Gate, P.O. Box 14152
Jerusalem 9114101
Tel. + 972 2 6282323
E-mail: ceo@lpj.org
www.lpj.org
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