The Berouti Brothers’ Contribution to the Construction of Saint Anthony’s Latin Church
Fakhri Geday, whose family owns the renowned Al-Kamal Pharmacy in Jaffa, recently visited Saint Anthony’s Latin Church. Although he had an idea that the church’s stained-glass windows might carry names of donors, he had not previously paused to examine the inscriptions closely. On his recent visit, together with his brothers, he photographed every window. Among the names etched in glass were those of the Berouti brothers — Michel, Negib, Emile, and Gabriel, sons of Nicolas Yacoub Berouti - as well as other prominent Jaffa families such as Talamas, Gelat, and Cassar.
Saint Anthony’s Latin Church, completed in 1932, was built to serve Jaffa’s growing Roman Catholic community, which until then had worshipped at Saint Peter’s Church in Old Jaffa. The stained-glass windows, original to the building, remain in place to this day. The inscriptions indicate that many of Jaffa’s Roman Catholic families contributed generously toward the church’s construction.
The window directly behind the altar bears the inscription: “1931 DONO DEDERUNT DOMINI MICHAEL NEGIB ET AEMILIUS N. BEROUTI EORUMQUE FAMILIAS”, which translates as: “In 1931, Sirs Michel, Negib, and Emile N. Berouti and their families gave as a gift.” (The wording reflects the brothers’ donation to the church.)
Stained-glass window bearing the names of the Berouti brothers — Michel, Negib, and Emile — together with their families
Location of the stained-glass window with the Berouti brothers’ names, behind the altar (red arrow and circle) — photo by Dobroš, via Wikimedia Commons
The other windows carry the following inscription: “DONO DEDERUNT DOMINUS (name of donor) EJUSQUE FAMILIA,” which similarly translates as: “(Name) and his family gave as a gift.”
I am deeply grateful to the Geday family for this fascinating discovery, for sharing it with me, and for granting permission to publish the photographs here.
