Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem presides over the opening of the Main Hall of Saint Demetrius School in the presence of project funders

Jerusalem
20 May 2025

Under the esteemed patronage of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine and Jordan, and in the distinguished presence of Mr. Oliver Owcza, Head of the German Representative Office in Ramallah, Ms. Chitose Noguchi, Special Representative of the Administrator a.i. of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP/PAPP); and Mr. Petros Anagnostaras, Deputy Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem, the official inauguration ceremony of the main hall at St. Demetrios School in the Old City of Jerusalem took place.

This project was funded by the German government through the German Development Bank (KfW), and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP/PAPP) under Phase II of the Investment Programme for Resilience (IPR). The achievement reflects a shared commitment to strengthening community resilience and preserving the social fabric in East Jerusalem.

In his speech following the blessing prayer, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos praised the generous support provided by the German government and the role of KfW—not only for this historic school, but for supporting the resilience of the Palestinian people in general, and the Christian presence in particular, and its impact on maintaining the unified social fabric of the Holy Land. He also extended his gratitude to UNDP for its effective role in implementing the project with professionalism and high quality.

In turn, Mr. Argis Assi, the school principal, presented tokens of appreciation to all supporters of the project, in recognition of their generous contribution, which will enhance the school’s capacity to serve its students and the wider Jerusalemite community.

Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem