In Bethlehem, the Daughters of Charity run an orphanage caring for orphaned and abandoned children up to age 6, offering love, education, and hope amid societal rejection.
Newsroom (29/12/2025 Gaudium Press) In the heart of Bethlehem, where the echoes of ancient nativity resonate, a modest orphanage known as the Crèche of the Holy Family stands as a beacon of compassion for society’s most vulnerable. Run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the institution welcomes children up to the age of 6 who have been orphaned, abandoned, or found on the streets, providing them with food, education, medical care, and above all, unwavering love.
The atmosphere inside the Crèche pulses with the vibrant energy of childhood. An earthquake of gentle yet powerful activity runs through the rooms, fueled by the laughter and movement of the little ones. There is Yousef, giggling as a sister lifts him from his crib; Mariam, dashing about while clutching her yellow ball; and Omar, waiting patiently for a tender touch. Amid colorful markers, toys, and warm embraces that evoke deep emotion, life unfolds under the watchful care of the religious sisters.
“These children are a bit like Jesus: born into fragility, abandonment, and a wounded society,” explains Father Karim Maroun, provincial superior of the Vincentians, in an interview with Vatican News. “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.”
Many of the children arrive under tragic circumstances. Born to young single mothers in extreme family situations, they are often relinquished out of fear of honor killings. “It is a dramatic reality from every point of view,” Father Maroun notes. Mothers, isolated and without support, seek help through hospitals or word of mouth, renouncing rights after birth so the newborns can find refuge with the sisters.
The orphanage houses 45 children permanently, while also providing day-care services for another 35 from impoverished working families, totaling around 80 children under age 6. The facility is meticulously organized, featuring a kitchen, dining hall, chapel, dormitories, classrooms, and play areas. Dormitories are segmented by age: a nursery for newborns up to 9 months, crib rooms for those aged 1 to 1.5 years, beds for toddlers up to 3, and larger beds for the oldest.
Education follows a similar age-based structure, with dedicated classrooms and a staff of about 70, including sisters, educators, doctors, and volunteers.
Sister Laudy Fares, who has served at the orphanage for 20 years, describes the mission with profound simplicity: “In Bethlehem, Christmas comes once a year, but here we celebrate the living Jesus every day. We do not do catechesis with words; our identity is expressed through who we are and what we do. We welcome Christ into our arms, because these children have been rejected by society. Here they find affection, open arms, and love.”
Yet this sanctuary is temporary. The sisters can care for the children only until age 6, after which they are transferred to the Palestinian state system. “When they have to leave, it is always painful,” Sister Fares says. “Afterwards, we do not know what their path will be, what future awaits them. That is why our presence here, in Bethlehem, is so important: to take care of them every day, for as long as we can.”
Father Maroun calls the Crèche both an “open wound” and a “daily miracle.” The pain stems from the solitude of mothers who abandon their children to survive, while the miracle lies in its sustenance through private donations—from Christian pilgrims staying in the guest house, Israeli contributors, and local Palestinian families.
“All of this is possible only thanks to Providence and donations, thanks to what we call our ‘white hands,’” Sister Fares adds. “Every person who enters brings what they can; even a single coin is a fortune for us. The Lord never abandons us.”
Visitors often form deep bonds with the children. One poignant story lingers with Sister Fares: A French woman, herself abandoned as a child but later adopted, visited and was moved to tears. “I had a family and I got married, but these children have no future, because adoption here is prohibited,” she told the sister. “I could have been one of them, but instead I was given a chance.”
In a region marked by hardship, a chain of solidarity sustains the Crèche—volunteers, doctors, donors, pilgrims, and neighbors contributing food, milk, clothes, toys, diapers, and blankets. Through this network, dignity, affection, and love reach the children, offering them a glimpse of family in the place where the Holy Family once sought refuge.
-Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
Related Images:
