Going out...
...with Christians to the Holy Land to experience the 5th Gospel in a gentle and reflective manner, meeting and praying with the Christian Community in Palestine and Israel: allowing pilgrims to explore for themselves the relevance of Christ's message to the world.
Bringing back...
...we are the UK importers of Cremisan wines, olive wood and embroidery from Bethlehem and distributors of Zaytoun olive oil - helping to protect the livelihoods of farmers, craftsmen and women.
Speaking up...
...we hold "Bethlehem Evenings" for parishes and groups all over the UK. These informal evenings with a PowerPoint presentation of life in Bethlehem, accompanied by Cremisan wines and Palestinian food, also provide an opportunity to buy the wines and other products from Bethlehem.
Everything we do is directed towards relationship with the Holy Land and its people, particularly with the Christians.
We do a lectio of the land when we are on pilgrimage - letting the land speak to us and listening to God, walking with Him in His land.
We meet and worship with the Arab Christian community, imbued with the cultural and theological diversity of a 2,000 year old Church. They are an inspiring witness to the power of enduring faith and hope. (Rom 5: 3-5)
Not everyone can come to the Holy Land and we import some of its delights to share; wine, olive wood, olive oil, za'atar; at the same time supporting the livelihoods of many families.
Any profit and all donations are taken back to Bethlehem for the different charities of our friends and partners and to needy families in the parishes.
Retreat Pilgrimages
We write itineraries for unhurried, guided pilgrimages to the Holy Land, based in Bethlehem and at the Sea of Galilee.
We provide an opportunity for spiritual renewal and growth through exploration of the 'fifth gospel', following Christ in the desert, in the city of Jerusalem and in the fields of the Galilee.
We listen to the chants of the Early Church and celebrate the Eucharistic Rite of St John Chrysostom - experiencing something of the liturgical history of the Universal Church that began here.
We introduce you to the work Christians are doing to educate, nurse, feed and clothe the people of Bethlehem irrespective of religion; we visit Bethlehem University and Tantur Ecumenical Institute, both of which were founded by Pope Paul VI.
Bethlehem Evenings
These are great fun and tailored to the parish or group. We are based in Cornwall but happy to travel all over the country. Normally we provide a parish supper of Palestinian food with Cremisan wines, after an informal, interactive PowerPoint presentation geared to the group's interest. We bring wines, olive oil and olive wood to sell. Any profits and all donations are taken back to Bethlehem.
We only charge for our travelling expenses and the cost of the food so that we are not out of pocket.
If we are coming for a weekend we would normally include one or two private gatherings in homes on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon for those who don't like to come out at night or come to a "Church Do", and then have the main event on Saturday evening after Mass, with goods for sale after Church on the Sunday.
To book please fill out the expression of interest form or telephone 07808 957604
Wine sales
We are the UK importers of Cremisan wines produced by the Salesians of Don Bosco in their winery in the hills outside Bethlehem. In 1885 when they began wine production the Salesians used the proceeds to support their work for the poor - especially the education of young people - and to provide work for the local population. These are still their aims, the proceeds from wine sales now helping to support the Salesians' schools, their bakery feeding the poorest families, the artistic centre training young people to work with ceramics, olive wood and mother of pearl.
We import two dry red and one dry white table wine. They are produced from local grape varieties, making them unique in the UK. Our altar (Communion) wines are light and slightly sweet, certified by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem as pure wines for celebration of the Eucharist in accordance with Canon 924. We have a superb Cremisan brandy - second to none!
By buying Cremisan wines in the UK you are directly helping the people of Bethlehem to overcome the economic consequences of the fear and political bad news of recent years.
Olive wood & craft sales
The craft of olive-wood carving has been settled in the Bethlehem region for over 400 years. There are some big factories but most of the production is in small family units, in little workshops. Often the children will join in, sitting around the kitchen table after school, threading rosary beads. All our olive wood is directly sourced in Bethlehem and some designs are made especially for us.
Colourful cross-stitch is another ancient Palestinian craft and we buy beautiful, useful embroidered items such as spectacle cases, bags, iPhone cases, purses and cushion covers from the Collective for Disabled Women near Bethlehem. They also produce wonderful silk-painted cards for us.
Visit our Olive Wood Crafts Shop
Olive Oil sales
Currently we are distributing the oil imported by our Fair Trade friends Zaytoun, together with their soap and Za'atar.
We are waiting to import our own olive oil produced by the Salesians from the terraced hillsides at Cremisan, as well as our own home-made Za'atar from a Christian family in Nazareth.
