On Saturday, September 5, 2026, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, made his first pastoral visit to the Latin Parish of Acre. Throughout the day, he met with those serving the parish, its faithful, and representatives of the city’s various institutions and communities. The visit included the celebration of Holy Mass, during which he administered First Holy Communion and Confirmation to eight children, as well as visits to several parishioners in their homes, where he prayed with them and administered the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
The welcome itself reflected the spirit that characterizes Acre—a city where different communities have lived alongside one another for generations. Franciscan Father Zaher Abboud, parish priest of the Latin Parish in Acre, welcomed Cardinal Pizzaballa and his accompanying delegation, alongside Bishop Kyrios Makarios, Metropolitan of Ptolemais-Acre and its district; Father Silvanos, parish priest of the Melkite Greek Catholic community; Sheikh Samir Assi; several parish priests and Franciscan friars; and representatives of the Municipality of Acre.
In his welcoming address, Father Zaher Abboud captured the spirit of the city in a few words: “This is the city of Acre, a city that makes room for everyone, welcomes everyone and loves everyone. Everyone here is a brother and sister.” Welcoming Cardinal Pizzaballa as a father and a bishop, he recalled the Patriarch’s repeated emphasis on the importance of preserving fraternity, citing his words: “Lose the battle and win your brother.” The phrase, he said, is a call to safeguard relationships among the different communities and groups that make up the city.
Small in size, alive in faith
The Latin Parish of Acre, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is one of the smaller Latin communities in number, yet its roots in the city run deep. Its church was built by the Franciscans in 1737 and restored in 1947, continuing a centuries-old Franciscan presence in Acre. In his remarks, Father Aboud also recalled the visit of St. Francis of Assisi to the city nearly eight centuries ago, at a time when Acre was marked by wars and divisions. Much has changed since then, he noted, but the loving and hospitable heart of its people, and their thirst for peace and serenity, remain unchanged.
The parish numbers around 320 faithful. Approximately 150 live in Acre, while the others reside in al-Jadida al-Makr and Kafr Yasif. Despite living outside the city, they remain fully part of the parish and its pastoral life, as there are no Latin parishes in the surrounding communities.
At the heart of the visit was the celebration of Holy Mass, during which Cardinal Pizzaballa administered First Holy Communion and Confirmation to the eight children. The celebration was a meaningful sign of a living faith and of a community committed to passing that faith on to the next generation, even if small in number, Cardinal Pizzaballa noted.
The Cardinal also devoted part of his visit to accompanying those who are sick. He visited several parishioners in their homes, prayed with them, and administered the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, expressing the Church’s closeness to her faithful in every circumstance of life.
A Diverse Christian Presence, United in a Common Future
The visit also brought Cardinal Pizzaballa to Acre’s Christian communities, including the Melkite Greek Catholic and Maronite communities, where he met with clergy and faithful. These encounters highlighted the deep bonds that have developed among the city’s churches and Christian communities over generations.
The Maronite parish, in particular, reflected on how the small size of Christian communities can become a blessing, encouraging greater closeness and cooperation, stressing that “our Christian presence and our Christian future in this land are a shared future.” The diversity of the churches, expressed through prayer, service, education, and shared Christian life, has become a source of unity and cooperation, particularly in serving children and young people and in preserving a living and deeply rooted Christian presence in this historic city.
Closeness at the heart of Pastoral Visits
Cardinal Pizzaballa’s pastoral visit to Acre was ultimately a visit of closeness: a time to meet the faithful, listen to them, and accompany them in the different circumstances of their lives. It also reflected his commitment to strengthening ties with the city’s various Christian and civic communities, fostering dialogue, cooperation, and fraternal relationships, while helping to preserve a living, united, and deeply rooted Christian presence in the Holy Land.
