A new Maronite church is being built at one of Christianity’s most significant pilgrimage sites, the place in Jordan where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.
The Saint John the Baptist Maronite Church is being built at Al-Maghtas, also known as Bethany Beyond the Jordan, on the eastern bank of the Jordan River.
The church has actually been in the works for years. Jordan allocated around 4,000 square meters of land to the Maronite Church in 2009, while Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi laid the cornerstone in 2012.
Now, after 17 years, the project is finally moving into construction.
A key breakthrough came this year when Lebanese businessman Sarkis Elias Sarkis agreed to fully finance the project. An operational protocol launching the construction phase was signed in August at the Maronite Patriarchal Residence in Dimane, with a Jordanian parliamentary delegation present.
Construction is expected to take around 18 months. The design has also had to take into account the archaeological and environmental sensitivities of the UNESCO-listed site.
The complex is planned to be more than a place of worship. It is intended to include facilities for pilgrims, visitors, accommodation and activities, with the Maronite Patriarchal Vicariate in Jordan envisioning it as a destination for Lebanese visitors and the wider Lebanese diaspora as well.
The timing is also significant. Jordan is preparing for 2030, which will mark 2,000 years since the baptism of Jesus, with major plans underway to develop the area around Al-Maghtas and expand its role as an international Christian pilgrimage destination.
For the Maronite Church, the project carries a distinctly Lebanese connection to one of Christianity’s most important sites. And after years of plans sitting on paper, the church is finally becoming a reality.
