Greetings from Jerusalem

By Fr. David Steffy, L.C.,

Chargé of the Holy See for the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

January 7th, 2026

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Dear Friends of the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center,

I wish you all a blessed beginning to the New Year, 2026.

The Christmas and New Year celebrations this year were very encouraging. Thousands of people, mostly locals, came through Notre Dame to attend the Christmas market, the tree blessing and lighting in support of the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, to admire the 360° lookout view, to enjoy a satisfying meal with family and friends in one of our restaurants, or to participate in one of our Christmas liturgies and pray before the manger scene in the reception.

The number of people and the level of activity stood in stark contrast to what we have experienced over the last few years. Hope truly showed its face this Christmas, and all our hearts were moved. It was a fitting context for the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Hope celebrated by the Church, a theme about which I have written quite a bit.

In fact, the Jubilee Year ended yesterday, on the Feast of the Epiphany. It is also Christmas Day for our Orthodox brothers and sisters. Soon, we will begin to take down the Christmas decorations. Here in Jerusalem, however, we wait a little longer, until after Armenian Christmas on January 19. I always feel a bit sad and sentimental when the decorations begin to come down, but I think this year it will be easier.

The experience of Christmas in the Holy Land fills the heart with such joy that any sadness becomes merely a shadow, one that reminds us the Light is always present. The images of families and children sharing time and creating memories are not easily forgotten. They remain alive in the heart. And so, as the ornaments, holly, and decorations are carefully packed away, the joy experienced by so many this Christmas can never be boxed up or set aside.

My prayer is that each of us may be continually reminded of the gift of life and the joy of sharing that gift with family, friends, neighbors, and, if we try, even with those who dismiss or dislike us. Joy, like love, flourishes through gratitude and forgiveness.

I would also like to thank so many of you who took a moment to send your Christmas wishes and share a story or two. Your messages helped me remain in a place of gratitude and also carried me through several days of an intense flu that began on New Year’s Eve.

Finally, thanks to the generosity of many of you, we were able to increase our Christmas bonus for our employees this year. It made a meaningful difference for them during this ongoing time of uncertainty.

As we step into 2026, my wish for each of you is a year filled with peace, joy, and renewed hope, one in which we continue to discover God’s presence in the ordinary moments of life and through our shared care for one another.

Please count on my prayers.

With gratitude and every blessing,

Father David Steffy, L.C.