Alfred Delmée
Father Alfred Delmée was pastor of the kehilla in Tel Aviv – Jaffa for twenty seven years (1958-1985).
He was born in Belgium in 1925 to a Catholic family. In 1943 he entered the Seminary. In 1948 he was sent to Rome to further his studies of philosophy and theology at the Gregorian University. In 1949 Alfred was ordained priest. In 1950 he visited the Holy Land for the first time as a pilgrim. A year later he met the Little Brother of Jesus who was to become Brother Yohanan Elihai and so began his contact with what was to become the kehilla. Meanwhile, he was sent to pursue studies in canon law in Rome. After finishing his studies he returned to Brussels and worked in the diocese in different positions.
In 1958, Alfred was finally able to realize his dream of coming to Israel to work with the Hebrew-speaking Catholics and be a presence of friendship among the Jewish people. He arrived on a boat from Italy in the company of Brother Yohanan and during the voyage Alfred took his first lessons in Hebrew. He continued to learn Hebrew immediatelly and took over from Father Bruno Hussar as responsible for the community in Tel Aviv-Jaffa as Bruno was recalled to Jerusalem to establish Isaiah House. In 1967, Alfred received Israeli citizenship.
For twenty seven years Alfred served the community as a beloved and caring pastor. He participated in all the deliberations of the Oeuvre Saint Jacques and his contributions to the development of the pastoral and liturgical life of the community were many. He was an ardent and astute collaborator in the enormous project of translating the liturgy and the New Testament. He was also active in the various organizations that encouraged dialogue between Christians and Jews.
Alfred was tragically killed in a car accident in 1985 together with Mrs. Nothmann. Her daughter Myriam, a close collaborator of Alfred, was seriously wounded. He is remembered fondly by all who knew him as a faithful and loving father.
A posthumous biography of Alfred was published by a priest friend:
ALBERT VERDOODT, Alfred Delmée: Veilleur sur la ligne de crête (1925-1985), (Louvain-la- Neuve, Academia, 1991)
The Price of Prime Minister Golda Meir granted to Br Yohanan Elihai