Palestine – Salesian bakery in Bethlehem helps poor and needy

16 February 2021

(ANS - Bethlehem) - The "Christian Media Center" of the Custody of the Holy Land, led and made up largely of members of the Community of "Canção Nova", 25th group of the Salesian Family, dedicated a report to the Salesian bakery in Bethlehem. In the video, available in several languages, it is emphasized that “The ingredients of Salesian bread in Bethlehem are not only flour, water and yeast, but endless amounts of mercy and generosity are also added to its dough, so the city's Salesian bakery has become a point of reference in helping the poor and needy.”

“During particularly difficult times like the first and second intifadas, this bakery played an important role and provided a great service to people. Even during the first and second wars in Iraq, we helped many poor families,” says Fr Lorenzo Saggiotto, of the Salesians in Bethlehem.

Salesian bread has become an incessant help even in this difficult time of the Coronavirus pandemic. “Even during this period, from the outbreak of the pandemic until today, the bakery has not only given bread to the poorest families but also to institutions that need help to continue serving people,” adds the Salesian.

Among these institutions is the Association "Together for Life" of Bethlehem, which deals with helping people with disabilities and which, due to the pandemic, has no more income, either from handicraft production or from donations.

In fact, Mahera Gharib, Director of "Together for Life" says: “We, too, depended on tourists visiting Bethlehem and were affected as much as the entire tourist industry. The bread we receive is enough for about 55 people. For us it was a burden and the Salesians relieve us of this expense, especially since in our Palestinian culture bread is essential. We eat bread or rice; bread accompanies every meal.”

The Bethlehem Association "Beit Al Rajaa" (House of Hope), which accompanies the blind and people with special needs, was also affected by the consequences of the coronavirus: for them, too, income depended on external support and tourists. The director of the Association, Salim Zeidan, thanks the Salesians for their help and for the quality of the bread. “Salesian bread lasts two or three days, but we can warm it up and it's back as if it just came out of the oven. The Salesian oven is one of the oldest in the city and has always maintained the same quality of production.”  

“Although making bread seems like a simple thing, for families who don't work and have no income, especially during curfew periods, receiving it for free relieves them of some of their daily expenses,” adds Basma Giacaman, Supervisor of the "Basma - Beit Sahour" Center.

Bethlehem means “house of bread” and the bread that the Salesian bakery of the city distributes with love is a gift that warms the heart and soul of the most needy.

The video is available here.

InfoANS

ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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