Bethlehem Handicrafts has been featured in Denver Catholic, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Denver, for our work supporting Christian artisans in Bethlehem and bringing authentic Holy Land olive wood to Catholic homes throughout Colorado and across America.

Originally published in Denver Catholic | April 26, 2018

The Only Bethlehem Olive Wood Store in the United States

It is the only one in the United States and it is located in the Archdiocese of Denver. The well known and respected Bethlehem Handicrafts, which imports carved olive wood items from the Holy Land to sell at parishes and mall kiosks and internationally online at bethlehemhandicrafts.com, opened a store April 2, Easter Monday, in Aurora.

Located in Aurora, the well stocked store offers an array of exquisite olive wood items ranging from religious statues, crucifixes, and rosaries to jewelry and kitchen items crafted by over 400 Holy Land artisans, providing them with a means to support their families.

"We are the only store in the United States that does this," said George Bannoura, 40, a co owner of the family business.

The Origin Story

Bethlehem Handicrafts was born 15 years ago when Bannoura, a native of Beit Sahour (Shepherds Field), located just east of Bethlehem and home to the largest Christian community in the Holy Land, brought goods from there to sell in Denver to keep his family and fellow artisans from poverty after tourism tanked due to escalating violence in the Middle East.

The vast majority of Christians living in or near Bethlehem depend on tourism for their livelihoods. Their numbers have steadily declined due to unrest and lack of work.

"We are proud to be considered part of the living Christian heritage of the Holy Land. Our local Christians go back to Christ's time. We are the first believers of the Lord."

A Shrinking Christian Community

"Twenty years ago in the city of Bethlehem, Christians were 85 percent of the population. Now, we are only 15 percent of the population," said Bannoura, whose family still maintains both their workshop and homes there.

Numbers for the larger Holy Land are even more telling. In 2014, Israel had just over 8 million people, the Palestinian Territories 4.5 million, and Jordan 6.5 million. Christians were estimated to make up 2 to 3 percent of those totals.

"Our main mission at Bethlehem Handicrafts is to help ourselves as a community," Bannoura said. "We want to help our livelihood so Christians can stay there. I always ask, if there are no Christians left in the Holy Land, what will happen to the sacred sites?"

Archbishop Aquila's Endorsement

Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, recognizing the importance of a Christian presence in the land where Jesus walked, has periodically sent letters to parishes urging prayers for Holy Land Christians and support for Bethlehem Handicrafts.

"Our faith was born in a land that is both holy and often in turmoil," he wrote last April. "Our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in the Holy Land undergo many hardships to practice their faith, but they remain committed to the land where Jesus lived, preached, died and rose from the dead. Your parishioners' support of the Bannoura's business can help maintain their presence in Bethlehem."

A Pastor's Endorsement

Father James Spahn, pastor of St. John Paul II in Thornton and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Northglenn, has visited the Bannoura family's workshop in Bethlehem.

"They use the olive wood from the area and carve religious items from it," he said. "The work helps the Christians there who have a hard life with very little opportunity and it brings beautiful religious items here for people's homes and for our parishes. It is a win win situation."

A Vocation and a Mission

To be a Christian in the Holy Land facing the circumstances they do today has been described as a vocation and as a mission. The Bannoura family has embraced that vocation and mission wholeheartedly.

"We are proud to be considered part of the living Christian heritage of the Holy Land," Bannoura said. "Our local Christians go back to Christ's time. We are the first believers of the Lord."

800 Items, Hand Carved and Authentic

Committed to offering the highest quality wood and artistry possible, Bannoura said the family opened their store because they can only take a limited number of their 800 plus items to display at parishes and at seasonal mall kiosks. And while people can view items online, it is not the same as viewing them in person.

The newly opened Bethlehem Handicrafts storefront in Aurora features hand carved statuettes and crosses made out of olive wood from the Holy Land. (Photos by An