On Tuesday 29 March, Sabeel organized a trip to Jericho during Lent. The purpose of the trip is for the community of Jerusalem to reflect at the time of fasting and connect their faith to the suffering of the people specifically in Palestine/Israel. In Palestine, there are over thirteen different churches and they all have their own unique traditions during the period of Lent. Sabeel as an ecumenical liberation theology organization always aims to encourage the community to celebrate the differences and connect our faith to our reality.

On Wednesday 23rd March, Sabeel organized the Contemporary Way of the Cross event in Jerusalem. Over 100 people from Nazareth and Jerusalem, including a number of Nuns from different Catholic Religious Orders, attended the event. The group, carrying a cross, walked from the first station to the final station of the Via de larosa and were escorted by local groups who chanted in their Eastern and Western traditions. At each station, we connected our suffering as Palestinian Christians with the suffering of Jesus through song and prayers. A number of pilgrims and tourists in Jerusalem followed the group with cameras and joined in prayer. During the service, we also prayed for peace in Europe and an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. Local churches in Jerusalem have asked their members to pray for peace and an end to the suffering created by the ongoing war over there.

For the past two years, Sabeel has not held the Contemporary Way of the Cross due to the pandemic.

On Sunday March 20, Sabeel Nazareth met with the local youth group about the Feast of the Annunciation. The group discussed the gospel reading of the Annunciation.  Friday 25 March is the Feast of the Annunciation according to the Western Calendar, which is celebrated by Christians all over the world, especially in Nazareth where the event took place. During the meeting, the group discussed how to connect the gospel to our lives today and the joy and challenges we face when we invite God into our lives.

On Saturday 19 March, Friends of Sabeel Australia hosted a discussion with Violet Khoury about the situation in Nazareth today. Ms. Khoury has been active with Sabeel since its beginnings and has led Sabeel Nazareth’s work for over 20 years. She has worked for many years as a pharmacist in Nazareth and reckons that she has met everyone in the area at least once through her work. 

On Tuesday 15 March, Sabeel held a Kumi Now online session with Dr. Anton Khalil, an environmental activist in Palestine. Dr. Khalil spoke about biodiversity and natural reserves in Palestine. He also spoke about the current challenges due to the lack of interest of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the environment and natural resources. The environment is not on the list of priorities for many Palestinians, with the occupation and the economy seeming more important and urgent.  Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, a professor at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities, and many young people are trying to change this and playing an active role in bringing environmental issues to the attention of the decision makers. The reality of living under occupation and with no jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority on over 70% of the West Bank make the challenges of environmental work ever more complicated.

On Saturday 12 March, the new organization Palestinian Christians in Australia (PCiA) held its official virtual launch. Sabeel has been working closely with Palestinian Christians in Australia in advance of their launch. The event included performances by musicians from Australia and Palestine. The group discussed PCiA’s vision of how Palestinian Christians living in Australia can connect with their community in Palestine and how their community can influence the wider Australian community.  

On Friday 11 March, Sabeel Nazareth held an in-person workshop for women’s groups in Nazareth. The theme of the workshop was: our stories as women. March is an important month for Palestinians living in Israel, because it includes the feast of the Annunciation, International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Land Day. 

 During the workshop, the group also prepared to join the Contemporary Way of the Cross on Tuesday 22 March in Jerusalem. Through the Contemporary Way of the Cross, local Palestinian Christians take their concerns to all of the traditional stations of the way of the cross. For decades, many Christians around the world have connected their suffering with the suffering of Jesus during Lent each year. This spiritual journey is important to help people in the midst of their suffering to keep their eyes on the resurrection at the end of the journey.

On Thursday 10 March, a group from Sabeel of 45 Palestinian women met in person at the Notre Dame Hotel in Jerusalem to discuss the Sabeel Strategic and Action Plan and provide feedback. The women who met to discuss the Strategic and Action Plan represent many talents, gifts, and professions, including doctors, teachers, lawyers, community activists, and social workers.

Since its founding, Sabeel has focused on women and young people. Although women and young people play a very big role in Palestinian social life, they are the least integrated into the decision making systems in the country. Sabeel remains dedicated to centering women and young leaders at the forefront of our work and relying on their leadership.

On Thursday 10 March, Sabeel met with Act Alliance Palestine and gave a presentation about the health insurance initiative. Act Alliance Palestine expressed interest in the project and in supporting this initiative.

In September, Sabeel and the community launched a new, groundbreaking health insurance program. Previously, Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza did not have access to health insurance. Sabeel has been bringing people together to solve this problem affecting the community. Churches, non-profit organizations, laypeople, and businesses have been working together, including a Palestinian Christian-owned company that is financially supporting the health insurance plan.

On Wednesday 9 March, Sabeel hosted its first group visit in the Sabeel office since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group of 20 participants met with Cedar Duaybis, the co-founder of Sabee. Mrs. Duaybis spoke about the challenges of being Palestinian and Christian and merging both identities while we live under the military occupation, especially when the Bible is being used to justify our oppression.