Umm al-Jimal, March 15 (Petra) – The Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Tla' al Ali, in cooperation with the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, the Jordan Tourism Board, and JETT tourist transport Company, organized the first pilgrimage to the archaeological site of Umm al-Jimal after it was declared a world heritage site last year.

Welcoming the trip, Umm al-Jimal Mayor Hassan al-Ruhaibeh gave a briefing on the site, a rural settlement in northern Jordan that developed organically on the site of an earlier Roman settlement around the 5th century CE, highlighting its key archaeological landmarks, including a famous cathedral built in 557 AD that saw pilgrimages from various dioceses in Jordan, Syria, and Palestine at the time.

The participants visited the cathedral, where they held prayers and recalled its ancient history.

Father Rifaat Bader praised efforts that culminated in putting Umm al-Jimal on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 23, 2024, becoming the seventh Jordanian site on the list.

He also recalled the historic mass held in 2014 at the cathedral, presided over by Patriarch Fouad Twal, and the visit of Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rai.

Bader expressed hope that July 23 will be an anniversary for Umm al-Jimal, featuring masses and local and international pilgrimages.

Participants learned about the history of the site, called the "Black Oasis," where Christianity flourished between 324 and 636 AD, and events that led to its abandonment, starting with an outbreak of the plague and then the devastating earthquake of 747 AD, which left it in ruins for more than 1,100 years until it was gradually repopulated in 1935.

Today's trip is one in a series of pilgrimages organized by the Sacred Heart Parish to holy sites in Jordan, such as Mar Elias, Our Lady of the Mount, Al-Maghtas Baptism site, Mount Nebo, and more.

//Petra//SS


15/03/2025 16:45:00