Order of Malta Launches Christmas Appeal for Holy Family Hospital, Bethlehem The Birthplace of Hope

The Order of Malta has today launched its 2025 Christmas Appeal in support of the Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem in Palistine, located just 100 metres from the birthplace of Jesus Christ — the birthplace of hope and of Christmas itself. 

The campaign was formally launched at Government Buildings by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, whose presence reflected Ireland’s longstanding tradition of humanitarian solidarity and service to the people of the Holy Land. 

Since 1990, the Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem has been operated under the patronage of the Order of Malta, providing life-saving maternity and neonatal care to mothers and infants of all faiths across Palestine. Each year, over 4,500 babies are delivered in its wards, many to families living in poverty or displaced by conflict. The 100,000 baby was delivered just last year. Despite the current immense operational challenges, the hospital continues to stand as a beacon of compassion, hope and medical excellence in a region marked by hardship. The hospitals operating costs are sustained by the Order of Malta and through voluntary donations by the public. 

The hospital’s mission has been strengthened from the very beginning by the dedicated service of Irish midwives and doctors, who have quietly volunteered their time and shared their world-class skills and clinical expertise in the labour wards — Midwife tutors and experts in neonatology from Ireland continue to mentor local teams thereby ensuring the highest standards of maternal and neonatal care. Their quiet professionalism has become a hallmark of Ireland’s contribution to the life of this extraordinary institution. 

Speaking at the launch, Cmdr. John Wright KM, Hospitaller of the Order of Malta in Ireland, expressed deep gratitude to An Taoiseach for his personal support and for highlighting Ireland’s enduring commitment to humanitarian action in the Holy Land: 

“The Holy Family Hospital stands as a living symbol of hope and peace — a place where life begins amid suffering, and where faith is lived daily through care.  The longstanding dedication of our Irish medical volunteers has been an enduring expression of that faith in action — literally a bridge of compassion between Ireland and Bethlehem. It’s vital that the bridge remains open ” 

Funds raised through this year’s appeal will directly support the hospital’s operations, including the neonatal intensive care unit, community outreach programmes, and the continued provision of medical care to expectant mothers and hi risk infants from UNRWA refugee camps and remote villages across Palestine. 

How to donate:

Go to our dontate page here: https://platform.payzone.ie/10556/fundraising/campaign/1956

Or donate by QR code:

Media Links 

🌐https://orderofmaltaireland.org/charitable-activities/holy-family-hospital  
🌐 www.holyfamilyhospital-bethlehem.org 
🌐 www.birthplaceofhope.org 

The Order of Malta Ireland invites individuals, parishes, and organisations across Ireland to participate in the appeal — helping sustain the hospital’s vital work in the very place where Christmas began.