“Bayt Illiqa” Center (Arsenale dell’Incontro)

“Bayt Illiqa” Center (Arsenale dell’Incontro) is affiliated with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Center and its activities are animated and coordinated by members of the Fraternity of SERMIG, who offer their service for free and are intensely committed to acquire the essential language skills and cultural mediation.

It is officially registered since 2007 at the Ministry of Social Development and in 2024 it obtained the license as a Day Center for Inclusion.

On May 15th 2010 “Bayt Illiqa” Center (Arsenale dell’Incontro) was officially inaugurated under the patronage of his Royal Highness Prince Raad Bin Zeid and in the presence of His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and of the founder of Sermig, Ernesto Olivero. This event marked a new beginning with a further impetus to the involvement of the local community in all its components.

About Sermig – Fraternity of Hope

SERMIG (Youth Missionary Service) was established in 1964 by Ernesto Olivero, his wife Maria and a group of young people to realize a great dream: to defeat hunger in the world through actions that focus on justice and development. Today, it is a Fraternity of married people, nuns, monks, priests and young people who actively offer solidarity to the needy and give special attention to young people working with them to seek the ways of peace.

Since 1983, it has been based in the old military arsenal of Turin (Italy) which has been transformed into the “Arsenale della Pace” thanks to the unpaid work of hundreds of thousands of people, mainly youngsters. Since 1996, SERMIG – Fraternity of Hope has also started a permanent presence in Brazil with the “Arsenale della Speranza”.

The relationship between SERMIG and Jordan is deeply rooted in close collaboration with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, started in 1991 with the humanitarian missions in Iraq during the Gulf War (SERMIG began its commitments in the Middle East in 1988). Since then SERMIG has continued to send materials and financial supports in Jordan, a country which in virtue of its geographical and political position represents a crucial point in the dialogue for peace and human coexistence in the Middle East.

On July 20th 2003 Sermig – invited by His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem - started its permanent presence in Jordan with a group of members of the Fraternity that prepared the opening of “Bayt Illiqa” Center (Arsenale dell’Incontro) in 2006.

From 2003 to 2005 three nuns of the Fraternity of Sermig served people with disabilities at the Our Lady of Peace Center of the Latin Patriarchate in Amman.