Kaytana 2014 – Days of peace within the war


After having held summer camps in the local kehillot because of the war in Gaza, the decision was made to hold the second camp as usual at Deir Rafat from July 28 to August 1, 2014.

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For five days, 82 people gathered at the shrine of Our Lady of Palestine at Deir Rafat near Beit Shemesh for the annual summer kaytana. Twenty adults were assisted by nine youth and together they served 53 children. The days were spent with an awareness of the war in Gaza, with daily prayers for peace, but in an atmosphere of security, peace and friendship. Twenty five children cancelled their participation because of the war, almost all of them from the north of the country. There were nonetheless children from the kehillot in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, Beer Sheba, Nazareth and Tiberias. Instead of those who cancelled, seven children from the Arabic speaking parishes in Ramleh and Jerusalem joined the camp. This year, with great joy, the camp also welcomed five children from the Eritrean community in addition to the delegation of children from the Filipino community in Jerusalem. Among the adults who accompanied the camp, it was a joy to have three sisters from the Teaching Sisters of Saint Dorothy, Sisters Rita, Lina and Jeanne D'arc, the family of Nicolas and Anne with their friend Antoine and Sister Agnes from France in addition to the wonderful team that included five priests from the Vicariate, Fathers David, Piotr, Apolinary, Gioele and Roman, Sisters Claudia, Sinead and Marianna, Seminarians Benedetto and Daniel, and Kyrill. A young Franciscan, Clovis, joined the team for the last two days. The nine youth from Desert Flower youth group made a wonderful contribution to the camp’s success.

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Each morning began with exercises and morning prayer. The theme of the camp this year was “Body of Christ, Bread of Life” and the morning lessons and art class focused on this theme. Daily mass, the center of the day, was preceded by a special time of preparation on a particular part of the mass. Mass also included a continued reflection on the theme with special readings and a short homily. The afternoon began with a time in the pools of water set up for the camp, always a time of great fun, and then various activities: games, sport, dance, science experiments and free time. In the evening, a film was screened as the adult counselors met to review the day.

Thanks are due to all who helped make the camp a great success. Thanks to the Sisters and volunteers at Deir Rafat for their welcome and the delicious meals, thanks to all who worked so hard, especially the director of the activities Father Piotr, ably assisted by Sister Claudia, Benedetto, Father Apolinary and all the others, thanks to Kirche in Not (Church in Need) which again generously helped the Saint James Vicariate cover the costs…

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As we all returned home, we bring with us the peace and joy of the camp and continue to pray for peace in our country and our region.

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