(CBN News) A church located along the banks of the Jordan River reopened for the first time in decades on Sunday following a massive project to remove thousands of landmines left over from the Six-Day War.
A small group of Catholic priests held mass and celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord at the St. John the Baptist Chapel. It marked the first time an official Sunday service was held at the still bullet-riddled, open-air church in 54 years.
“We are delighted, on this special day, that the Custody of the Holy Land, with the help of God, after more than half a century, has been able to return to the Latin church of St John the Baptist,” Fr. Mario Hadchity from Jericho said in a statement. “May it be a place where all those who enter encounter the grace of God.”