Catholics Ascend to Mount Olives, Site of Jesus’ Ascension, Only Day They Can Use Chapel Currently Under Muslim Control
An external view of the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem during the procession of the Franciscan friars after the first vespers of the Ascension solemnity on May 8, 2024. The procession circled the chapel three times.
An external view of the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem during the procession of the Franciscan friars after the First Vespers of the Ascension solemnity, on May 8, 2024. The procession circled the chapel three times.
A group of faithful participates in the midnight Mass for the solemnity of the Ascension celebrated in the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, during the night between May 8 and 9, 2024. After the Franciscans celebrate the Vigil Office, the Masses begin, going on the whole night long in half-hour shifts.
A group of priests during the celebration of the Ascension Mass inside the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, during the night between May 8 and 9, 2024.
Father Said Hashem, the parish priest of the Melkite parish of the Annunciation in Nazareth, on May 9, led a group of about 60 parishioners to Jerusalem to participate in the solemn Ascension Mass at the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives. Every year, Hashem leads this pilgrimage, following in the footsteps of the late Franciscan friar Jack Karam, who initiated this experience.
A moment during the celebration of the solemnity of the Ascension, on the morning of Thursday, May 9th, at the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Despite the absence of pilgrims due to the war, several groups of faithful, especially locals, have come for this celebration. May 8, 2024.
The back of the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. On the sides, two of the four tents set up for the occasion by the Custody of the Holy Land are visible. They serve to accommodate the sacristy, pilgrims, and a small field kitchen. May 8, 2024.
A priest during the celebration of the Ascension Mass at one of the portable altars placed outside the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, during the night between May 8 and 9, 2024.
A group of faithful outside the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, during the vigil celebration by the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land, on the occasion of the solemnity, on the night of May 8, 2024.
A moment during the vigil celebration by the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land, presided over by the Custodial Vicar Father Ibrahim Faltas inside the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, during the solemnity on the night of May 8, 2024.
A moment during the community recitation of the First Vespers of the Ascension solemnity organized by the Latin parish of Jerusalem in the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives, on May 8, 2024. The second girl from the left is Joelle Sammour, 14 years old. "By coming to these places, I want to be closer to God and Jesus,” she told CNA.
The Franciscan masters of ceremonies are preparing for the celebration outside the tent-sacristy set up in the area of the Chapel of the Ascension for the solemnity celebration on May 8, 2024. The Chapel is located on the Mount of Olives, in Jerusalem. Outside the chapel, four large tents were set up, erected that morning. They serve to accommodate the sacristy, pilgrims, and a small field kitchen.
By Marinella Bandini
Jerusalem, 09 May, 2024 / 7:15 pm (ACI Africa).
On the solemnity of the Ascension, Christians in Jerusalem ascended to the top of the Mount of Olives, where tradition places the exact location of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. It is the only day of the year when they have the right to celebrate the liturgy in the Chapel of the Ascension, which is currently under Muslim control.
The octagonal chapel visible today is what remains of the Crusader-era church. (The first church dates back to the fourth century.) Inside, a rock is venerated on which it is believed that the last earthly footprint of Jesus before ascending to heaven is imprinted.
The rock venerated inside the Chapel of the Ascension, on the Mount of Olives, in Jerusalem. According to tradition, the last earthly footprint of Jesus before ascending to Heaven is imprinted on this rock. Credit: Marinella Bandini
On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 8, local Christians began gathering at the site of the Ascension. In the absence of the custos of the Holy Land, the custodial vicar, Father Ibrahim Faltas, performed the solemn entry and presided over the first vespers of the solemnity, followed by a procession that circled the chapel three times.
The Latin parish of Jerusalem organized a communal recitation of vespers, with a large group of faithful in attendance.
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Emily Turjman is a fixture in the parish and lives a form of private consecration to the Lord. “I come here every year,” she told CNA, proudly showing the rosaries she crafts with embroidery. “I love the Lord and want to be close to him.”
Emily Turjman, a well-known figure in the Latin parish of Jerusalem, outside the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. She's showing the rosaries she crafts with embroidery, before the vespers of the Ascension solemnity on May 8, 2024, organized by the parish. “I come here every year,” she told CNA. “I love the Lord and want to be close to him,” she said. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Joelle and George Sammour are siblings and came with their mother. It is their first time attending this celebration. Joelle is 14 years old and part of the parish choir. She told CNA: “I’m excited to have come to pray in the actual place of the Ascension. By coming to these places, I want to be closer to God and Jesus.”
George said he never misses Sunday Mass as he is one of the altar boys serving in the parish and is very proud of this task. “I wanted to come here to learn more about the Ascension of Jesus. I want to know more about Jesus and his life,” he told CNA. “I also like to see how the friars celebrate in the holy places; I want to observe and learn.”
Brother Noor Amash, a Franciscan friar of the Custody of the Holy Land, together with George Sammour, one of the altar boys serving in the Latin parish of Jerusalem. “I wanted to come here to learn more about the Ascension of Jesus. I want to know more about Jesus and His life,” Sammour told CNA. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Outside the chapel, four large tents were set up, erected that morning. They accommodated the sacristy, pilgrims, and a small field kitchen for the friars who stay to keep vigil and ensure a presence at the site throughout the night.
After the Franciscans celebrate the vigil Office, the Masses begin and go through the entire night in half-hour shifts. Besides inside the chapel, Masses can also be celebrated at two portable altars outside.
Three Masses were taking place simultaneously in the area of the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem during the night of May 8-9, 2024, for the solemnity. Besides inside the chapel, it's also possible to celebrate at two portable altars placed outside. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Seeing buses of Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem has been rare since the war in Gaza broke out. However, for the feast of the Ascension, several buses arrived in the early hours of the night, especially from Nazareth and Galilee.
This is a pilgrimage launched about 30 years ago by the late Franciscan friar Jack Karam, and since then it has never stopped.
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“We have come here to celebrate this feast together because it’s the only day when this place is open for us Christians,” Samia Abu Sini, who works at the French hospital in Nazareth managed by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, told CNA. “They told us about this place and this celebration, and I wanted to come and visit.”
Don Prince Toussoun is a Salesian priest who is originally from Egypt but has lived in various places in the Holy Land, and for six years he has been in Nazareth in the parish dedicated to “Teenage Jesus.” On Wednesday night, he participated with a group of about 60 people in the vigil celebration.
“Every year we come for the Ascension,” he told CNA. “We pray during the bus journey, we stop here for the vigil celebration, then we celebrate the Mass at Dominus Flevit, and we spend some hours praying in the Holy Sepulcher.”
Some priests wait for their turn to celebrate the Ascension Mass in the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem during the night of May 8-9, 2024. Credit: Marinella Bandini
While waiting her turn to enter the Chapel of the Ascension in the middle of the night, Rawya Graisy from Nazareth shared with CNA her joy of being in this place for the first time. “I had heard about this church and wanted to see it,” she said. “We are here to pray to God. We pray to God to stop the war, to help all the people suffering because of it, and to grant us peace.”
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At 8 o’clock in the morning, the faithful of Jerusalem returned to the site of the Ascension for the parish Mass. The solemn Mass of the Franciscans of the custody followed.
Among the attendees were also a group of Christians from the Melkite Parish of the Annunciation in Nazareth led by their pastor, Father Said Hashem. They also come to Jerusalem every year, contemplating the mystery of the Ascension in the place where it happened and visiting the most significant sites of the Holy City.
A group of faithful from the Latin parish of Jerusalem at the end of the recitation of first vespers of the Ascension solemnity organized by the Latin parish of Jerusalem in the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives on May 8, 2024. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Already in the fourth century, pilgrims spoke of this place, which they called “Imbomon” (a term derived from Greek meaning “on the top” or “on the hill”). In her diary, the pilgrim Egeria reports that the community of Jerusalem gathered at the Imbomon on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, every afternoon during Easter week, and on Pentecost Sunday.
With the conquest of Jerusalem in 1188, Saladin assigned “the land of the Mount of Olives” to two Muslim families and transformed it into an Islamic foundation. The central chapel of the church was converted into a mosque, but today it is not used for worship.
The Chapel of the Ascension is open to visitors and pilgrims throughout the year, but on Ascension Day Christians can celebrate the liturgy inside thanks to a concession granted to the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land.
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