November 18, 2001

The Latin Church bell tower.

This Sunday we worshiped with the Latin Church of Visitation. All the women in the church have begun to cover their heads when they come forward to receive the eucharist - this is something we have seen in the Orthodox church, as well as in the Latin church in Birzeit, not to mention the Protestant churches we visited in Iraq. In this culture, it is seen as a sign of respect. At the same time, Abuna Aktham has also introduced female lay readers.

After worship, a new fellowship tradition has begun. The men go to drink coffee in the church hall while the women go to do the same at the Convent across the street where the Rosary Sisters of Zababdeh live. Coffee hour was always something we treasured in the States, and we were a little suprised that folks in Zababdeh didn't also have this special time. The new coffee fellowship doesn't last long (quite surprising for a Semitic culture), but it is a chance to catch up on the goings on around the village.