LATIN PATRIARCHATE

OF JERUSALEM

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Renovation of Parish Hall

Beit Jala / Palestine
GA 013/15

General Administration
Project Development Office
May 2015

RENOVATION OF PARISH HALL – BEIT JALA / PALESTINE 1

 Renovation of Parish Hall – Beit Jala / PALESTINE

TOPICS
• The Latin Patriarchate • Proposed Intervention
• Introduction • Execution/Duration
• Location/Demographics • Proposed Budget
• Needs • Photos
• Beneficiaries • Contact

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.
Moreover, LPJ is leading the Christian revival mainly through the various programs such as: catechism,
youth ministry, pastoral care, education, social and economic programs. Our parishes and schools
implement the strategies and plans through whole diocese.

INTRODUCTION
The town of Beit Jala, lies only two kilometres from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the
birthplace of Jesus Christ. Its name comes from Aramaic, which means “grass carpet”. The city is
considered to be one of oldest in Palestine, and together with Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, the three
towns form a triangle where the largest Christian community currently live.
As a result of armed conflict and poverty in the area, many people decided to emigrate. Most emigrants
of Beit Jala reside in Chile, Central and South America in addition to the United States.The town used
to be 100% Christian, but presently Christians account for 80% of the population of Beit Jala.
The Church of Annunciation was built in 1855 during the Ottoman rule and was inaugurated in the
presence of the Latin Patriarch and the French Consul. In 1858, the convent was built in the same
complex of the church, leaving a huge yard to be used for the school children of the Latin Patriarchate
school, which is located opposite the street.
In 2006, the parish hall was built in the complex of the church and the convent. The location of the
hall provides the parish, the school as well as the community with the opportunity to benefit from its
building. The premises comprises of the main hall, kitchen, toilet facilities and an office. Moreover,
the demand on the use of the parish hall by the community is high, due to the sufficient availability of
parking.
A large number of events have been carried out in the hall over the last ten years. It has been used
as a place for gatherings, weddings, scout meetings, graduation ceremonies, funerals, etc. Since
its construction, very little has been done to repair, renew and upgrade the place, to make it more
welcoming, and allow a comfortable gathering area for all activities and events. The proposed
renovations and repairs will address serious issues in the facility, such as: sound, heat and lighting
efficiency, in addition to upgrading the health and safety standards.

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LOCATION /DEMOGRAPHICS

• Total population: 15.570

• Christians: 9.000
• LP School students: 880

NEEDS
The Beit Jala parish strives to serve and enrich the lives of its parishioners and the people in the
community. The primary goal is to repair and renovate the parish hall, in order to provide a safe and
welcoming place to conduct events and activities. The following needs have been identified to achieve
the objectives:
• Provide a well-equipped place to conduct all parish related activities;
• Make available a safe and healthy indoor place to hold scout group meetings and activities;
• Improve the hall, so it become a more comfortable place, allowing a better usage of the space for
gatherings, weddings, funerals and other occasions;
• Offer the school a suitable indoor place, to carry out main events such as: plays, graduation
ceremonies, etc.;
• Allow parishioners as well as community members, to conduct activities and gatherings in a
compatible indoor place.

BENEFICIARIES
This project will promote the parish presence in the community as parishioners and LPJ School
students, are the main beneficiaries of this project. The sufficient parking space available makes the
hall a valuable place for the community. Therefore, the renovation of the hall will provide everyone with
a welcoming place to conduct all community, school and parish related activities.

EXECUTION/DURATION
The project will require about four to six months from starting date, aiming for the execution during
2015.
The technical team will prepare the necessary documents, which will be supervised by the Latin
Patriarchate technical and procurement staff and will comply with all LPJ internal contracting and
supervision procedures.

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PROPOSED BUDGET
The total estimate cost of this project is: U$ $ 50,098
For further details and the financial study, please contact the Project Development Office.

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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