1 January, 1937

The monastery was built from native white granite stone; the quiet beauty of its architecture harmoniously combines the Moorish and Gothic styles. French architect Marcel Favier earned a prize at the Paris Expo for his design of the monastery. From the monastery we enjoy a splendid view of the Bay of Haifa and all the city. On clear days we can see the summit of Mount Tabor and the snows of Mount Hermon. Haifa is the northern capital of the country, an important tourist center and a great port city (sister city of Marseille, France) where an important part of Israel's industry is concentrated. It is also an inviting city, filled with greenery and flowers, where Jews, Arab Christians, Moslems and Bahais live in harmony. We even have Israel Defense Force soldiers as neighbors! The sounds of the city rise up to greet us. In contrast, the silence of the Sabbath and the great Jewish high holy days is a call to prayer in unity with all those in this world who work and pray, with all those who, with Israel, sanctify the Name of the Eternal. As a community of sisters, we are from various nationalities. Our common language is still French, but we also pray in Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Latin and our other native languages. Our prayer reflects not only the microcosmos of our own community, but it also gives voice to our solidarity with the world in which we live. Here, every day is Pentecost! Here, we are called to welcome our differences and, in receiving and welcoming this unity in the midst of diversity, we are a living sign in and for a land divided. Far from our countries, our cultures, from parents, relatives and friends, we live in this land of Israel, sharing the destiny of the people chosen by God. We recognize their isolation and insecurity; we see the heartbreak of all the Near East: the hatred, the intolerance and the fanaticism. And so, we welcome in the daily life of our community — a community "of many colors" — the call of the Lord to seek humbly the ways of communion.