Projects and Programs

The North Central Lieutenancy, in conjunction with Lieutenancies around the world, helps provide support for a number of projects and initiatives in support of the Christians in the Holy Land. Funds donated for the Holy Land are administered by the Lieutenancies in accordance with the administrative and fiscal legislation of their country of operation, and copies of the accounts maintained by each Lieutenancy are forwarded to the Grand Magisterium. These accounts include the records of the amount of donations, the beneficiaries and the purpose for which they are allocated. Typically, a Lieutenancy will forward a proportion of donated funds to the Grand Magisterium as a contribution to its support of larger projects, while using the remainder for the direct support of smaller projects identified and chosen by its Council. The following are some of the projects and programs we support:

Caritas Baby Hospital (CBH) - The CBH is the West Bank’s only children’s hospital that offers medical and social services to every child in need, irrespective of origin or religion. Annually, around 50,000 Palestinian children are treated up to 18 years of age on both an outpatient and inpatient basis. The hospital provides treatment for the most basic pediatric illnesses as well as for neonatal and congenital disorders. It also treats patients with hereditary, neurologic and metabolic diseases. The majority of patients come from the southern parts of the West Bank, namely the regions of Bethlehem and Hebron. According to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, over 400,000 children live in the area served by Caritas Baby Hospital, which is roughly 42% of the total population.

Lady of Sorrows Elder Center, Jerusalem - The Home of Our Lady of Sorrows is a specialized accomodation for elderly dependent people. It was created 60 years ago at the request of the Latin Patriarchate by the Daughters of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Gaza Holy Family Parish - Gaza Holy Family Parish Church is located in Gaza, in what is considered the poorest area in Palestine and one of the most densely populated areas in the world. It has 5,046 persons per square kilometer and has a steep level of unemployment.

Bethlehem University - Bethlehem University of the Holy Land is a Catholic Christian co-educational institution of higher learning founded in 1973 in the Lasallian tradition, open to students of all faith traditions. Bethlehem University, the first university established in the West Bank, and can trace its roots to 1893, when the De La Salle Christian Brothers opened schools in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jaffa, Nazareth, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt.

Hogar Nino Dios - Hogar Nino Dios is a home for disabled children, located in the City of Bethlehem in the West Bank. The home is run by the Sisters of the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word. The home is run by five nuns of the order with the assistance of two priests and numerous lay staff, including a nurse, doctor, physical and musical therapists and a cook – all of whom help look after 23 disabled and abandoned children, of whom seven are Christian. They are funded solely through charitable donations.

HOPE (Holy Land Outreach Promoting Education) - HOPE is a twinning project between the teachers of the Latin Patriarchate Schools in the Holy Land and and teachers of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which is located within the North Central Lieutenancy. HOPE is rooted in a program called the Children’s Peace Program (CPP). The purpose of this program is to build a bridge of peace and solidarity between our Catholic schools in the U.S. and the Latin Patriarchate (Roman Catholic Archdiocese) schools in the Holy Land.