The Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel is marking the 70th anniversary of its founding. The jubilee, celebrated on May 2 at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem, brought together around 350 parishioners and guests. The Mass for the feast of St. James the Apostle was presided over by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The Saint James Vicariate is a distinctive sign of the Church’s presence in Israel: it speaks the language of daily life and of the heart-Hebrew-while remaining firmly rooted in the universality of the Catholic Church.
Celebration of the 70th anniversary of the pastoral ministry for Hebrew speaking Catholics, Cardinal Pizzaballa, who served as vicar of the Saint James Vicariate from 2005 to 2008, stressed the importance of “understanding [the people of Israel]” and of “recognizing the responsibility of communities to help the Church understand and look ahead.” He noted that this relationship “is more important today than ever.”
The Vicariate gathers Catholics living within Israel’s Hebrew-speaking society: faithful of Jewish and non-Jewish origin, local Christians, migrants, and Russian-speaking groups. Its communities are active in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv–Jaffa, Haifa, Be’er Sheva, and Tiberias.
As highlighted during the jubilee, the Vicariate lives out its mission daily: translating, accompanying, listening, and serving. Its purpose is not to build a separate Church, but to serve the one Church of Jesus from within. “Seventy years is a gift. It is also a responsibility,” said Fr. Piotr Żelazko, vicar of Saint James since 2021. He added that the task of the communities is “to remain faithful, attentive and courageous—to listen to the signs of the times, care for the next generation, and continue building bridges of faith, dialogue and compassion.”
