In Bethlehem, a religious orphanage gives love to children without families

An earthquake runs through the rooms of the “Crèche”, caused by the gentle yet powerful energy of the children. Like Yousef, who laughs as a religious sister lifts him from his crib; or Mariam, who runs around never letting go of her yellow ball; or Omar, who stays still, waiting to receive a gentle touch.

It is the children’s need for love that fills the rooms of the Orphanage of the “Holy Family” in Bethlehem, run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

Amid glances and embraces that make it impossible to hold back tears of emotion, life unfolds among colorful markers and toys, surrounded by the care of the religious sisters who look after these children up to the age of six, guaranteeing them food, education, and medical care.

“These children are orphans, abandoned, or found on the streets. It is a dramatic reality from every point of view: many of them are born in extreme family situations, often to young single mothers forced to give up their children out of fear of being killed by their own families. The sisters welcome the newborns, raise them, and love them,” explains Father Karim Maroun, provincial superior of the Vincentians, to Vatican News.

“These children are a bit like Jesus: born into fragility, abandonment, and a wounded society. They need a great deal of love and tenderness. And there is a great mystery: they have a home, food, care, and affection, but there always remains the longing for a mother and a father.”