Franciscan Father Mario Hadchiti of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Jericho, West Bank, hands out water and dates to a Muslim man at the end of the daily fast April 24, 2021, during the holy month of Ramadan. (CNS photo/Debbie Hill) Apr. 27, 2021 Catholic News Service JERUSALEM – As his Muslim neighbors and fellow Jericho residents make their way home for the iftar, which breaks the daily fast throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Franciscan Father Mario Hadchiti hands out small bags of dates and water to passersby in front of the Franciscan Good Shepherd Church. It is a tradition the parish priest, originally from Lebanon, began when he arrived in Jericho nine years ago.
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, was the first area in the Palestinian Territories to be forced into lockdown just before Easter last year, closing the Church of the Nativity