The construction of the Church of the Baptism made possible with the support of a Jordanian Knight of the Order

Nadim Yusuf Muasher is a successful Jordanian entrepreneur with experience in various sectors, ranging from architecture to hospitality, and textiles to banking. As a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Jordan, he was the principle donor who helped raise the necessary funds for the construction of the Church of the Baptism of Jesus in Bethany Beyond the Jordan (al-Maghtas).

The Muasher family has a long tradition of supporting the Church in the Holy Land. Nadim’s father had previously contributed to the construction of the Church of Saint Joseph in Jabal Amman, and Nadim has long assisted and helped the Rosary Sisters with their various needs.

However, the decision to financially support the construction of the Church of the Baptism is unfortunately to be traced to a tragic personal event “Twenty years ago, we lost our son in a car accident. He was 17,” Nadim recounts. “We were travelling to a wedding; he was with friends in one car and we were not too far behind in another. When we saw the accident and I realized that the person they were pulling out of the car was my son, it was tragic. Words cannot express such a traumatic event,” Nadim continues, deeply moved. “As a family, we learned to grow in our faith to accept what had happened and to entrust ourselves to God’s will. I began to ask myself if there was a reason related to the place where my son had died.”

The place where the accident happened is at the intersection leading to the site where the Baptism Church stands elegantly today. On January 10, 2025, the Church was consecrated during an inaugural Mass presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and concelebrated by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and Grand Prior of the Order.

“In 1995, Pope John Paul II announced that this was a holy place and a site of pilgrimage, and introduced the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, the Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan was the first. After the death of my son, in prayer, I felt that the land there wanted me to build something on this site. There was a special message in that place that just needed to be brought to light, and being an architect, I began to work on the project,” Nadim recounts.

Following the accident, Nadim immersed himself in readings and prayer, and developed a proposal designed in the shape of a cross. The church is at the center with two monasteries – one for women and one for men – flanking it on either side “so that it would not just be a place to visit,” he explains, “but one where people could pray and feel accompanied by a praying community.” The main altar is dedicated to the Baptism, the first Luminous Mystery, while the other Luminous Mysteries are evoked in the adjacent chapels. The theme of light, both spiritually and physically, guides the steps of the faithful.

On the occasion of the consecration of the church and the inaugural Mass, the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, recalled how it is here, one of the lowest points on earth, where “all the suffering of conflict, inhumanity, and sin” is felt, that “heaven was opened,” and the “gift of peace, true peace, which is born in hearts and spreads throughout the entire social fabric,” is invoked.

It is this peace, this open heaven that speaks to Nadim and his family’s heart. Nadim has had the joy of being a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre for several years now, and his commitment to supporting the living stones of the Holy Land is evident. The work he did for the Church of the Baptism of Jesus is part of a personal and family tradition. “Being a Knight of the Order for me is linked to a commitment to do good, and goodness does not mean perfection but beginning to make and do with love. Here, in Jordan, there is a small group of Members of the Order and I have been asked to lead the meetings. I will do it for a year before leaving this responsibility to someone else. It is our church and our community and we are called to take care of it. In the Order it is good to be able to do this not as individuals but as a group.”

Elena Dini

(April 2025)