Each year, untold numbers of pilgrims to the Holy Land arrive and depart from Ben Gurion International Airport without ever knowing that they have passed by one of the “best-kept secrets” of the pilgrimage trail: the convent of Deir Rafat.

Located a short distance from Lod-Tel Aviv near the modern Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, Deir Rafat began as a social works project of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the late 1920s, acting as a boarding school for local Arab Christians. As the conditions and needs of the Christians of the Holy Land changed, the facility was eventually repurposed and is now under the care of the Monastic Family of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin and of Saint Bruno. This relatively new religious order within the Carthusian tradition, founded in the 1950s, is split between Monastic Brothers and Monastic Sisters, and it is a modest but dedicated community of Monastic Sisters, known colloquially as the Little Sisters of Bethlehem, that maintain the convent of Deir Rafat.

The beautiful convent and grounds are well-maintained, made all the more picturesque by the sight of the white-robed sisters as they go about their daily obedience to their monastic rule. Visitors are greeted by a life-sized statue of the Virgin Mary at the entrance of the church of the convent, which is graced with the inscription Reginæ Palæstinæ: Queen of Palestine (in this context, “Palestine” refers to the historic Roman name for the Holy Land, as opposed to the modern name of the Palestinian state and the Palestinian Arab people). One of the many titles of the Virgin Mary, this term is particularly important to the Catholic faithful of the Holy Land, who along with their co-religionists throughout the region, celebrate and keep the month of May as the month of Mary, and also hold the feasts dedicated or involving her veneration with special regard.

Inside the church, the first two words of the prayer “Hail Mary!” have been painted in 280 languages on depictions of angels with banners in the vault of the church, and the same expression has been incorporated into carvings on the doors of the church as well. Within the sanctuary, the icon of Our Lady of Palestine, depicting the Virgin Mary extending her protection over the Holy Land, is one of the most popular amongst devotees to the Catholic presence in the Holy Land and is used in community processions, but especially on October 25th of each year, the day of the celebration of the Virgin Mary as Queen of Palestine, an event held with great regard and usually celebrated by the Latin Patriarch and concelebrated by many other clergy.

The convent is a beautiful, peaceful place to visit at all times of the year, away from the bustle and noise of the major pilgrimage shrines of the Holy Land, and is a place of reflection and prayer for all those who find strength from the Virgin Mary.

A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Palestine

O Mary Immaculate, gracious Queen of Heaven and of Earth, behold us prostrate before thy exalted throne. Full of confidence in thy goodness and in thy boundless power, we beseech thee to turn a pitying glance upon Palestine, which more than any other country belongs to thee, since thou hast graced it with thy birth, thy virtues and thy sorrows, and from there hast given the Redeemer to the world.

Remember that there especially thou wert constituted our tender Mother, the dispenser of graces. Watch, therefore, with special protection over thy native country, scatter from it the shades of error, for it was there the Sun of Eternal Justice shone. Bring about the speedy fulfillment of the promise, which issued from the lips of Thy Divine Son, that there should be one fold and one Shepherd.

Obtain for us all that we may serve the Lord in sanctity and justice during the days of our life, so that, by the merits of Jesus and with thy motherly aid, we may pass at last from this earthly Jerusalem to the splendours of the heavenly one.

Amen.

Our Lady, Queen of Palestine, pray for us all and all the peoples of the lands made sacred by your Son's Life, Death, and Resurrection.  Amen.

Journey to the Holy Land!

Good Shepherd Travel offers trips to Deir Rafat as part of our Holy Land comprehensive pilgrimage package along with Jerusalem, Nazareth and the Galilee, Bethlehem, the Jordan River and Jericho. Other popular pilgrimage tours to locations such as Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, and Ireland are also available. For more information on how to begin preparing for a pilgrimage in late 2022 and 2023, contact Good Shepherd Travel owner and manager, Tony AbuAita at Tony@goodshepherdtravel.com.