The message of love and mercy embodied by St. Vincent de Paul lives on through the service of the Sisters of Charity of Bethlehem. Fr KHALIL MAROUN Lazarist St. Vincent taught us that love is a fire and that this fire must spread and never go out. I pray that a fire may burn within each of us and ignite a spirit of love for all the poor and marginalized. In their warm home that is a refuge for broken hearts and vulnerable souls, the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent take in orphans and give them what they have lost since birth: love, care and security. Sr LODI Sisters of Charity-St. Vincent We are following in the footsteps of the nuns who have come to this convent since 1884 and brought their message and life here. Children are life and soul. It was decided that I would move here. I relive my childhood with these children, because they are love, joy and smiles. This is a very important message: we are living our motherhood with these children. Sr LODI Sisters of Charity-St. Vincent I am very moved when children go to sleep, because it is the mother who gives affection to the child. When I hear children call me “mother,” I get very emotional and I have to give a lot, because these children are our children and brothers. St. Vincent de Paul, the father of the poor, lived in a time of great social and economic inequality. But he saw in the poor and marginalized the suffering face of Christ. To mark his anniversary, the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent celebrated a solemn mass on Sept. 28. It was presided over by Father Khalil Maroun in the presence of a large number of city residents. Fr KHALIL MAROUN Lazarist Jesus says, I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was naked and in prison, you clothed me and visited me. We are in times of war and hardship, especially in the city of Bethlehem, this isolated and deserted area, always needs help. We need mutual solidarity. St. Vincent asks us to open our doors and help in any way we can. The occasion reminds us to reflect on the call of each of us to be a bridge between heaven and earth, following the example of St. Vincent, and to live the message of love with boundless generosity. SUHAILA THALGIEH Bethlehem My appeal is to the entire Palestinian community, as well as the entire local community in all its forms, to support this institution. These children are our children. We need to stand by them, help them and make sure that this home remains standing. Fifty children need services, medical care, assistance and education. They need small places where they can live their lives normally. All this is provided to the marginalized Palestinian child by this home, so small and yet so big.