The Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God was celebrated at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, with a Divine Liturgy led by Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos III on September 20.

The celebration was moved to Sunday in accordance with the Orthodox Church calendar and liturgical tradition, according to the Jerusalem Patriarchate.

The service was attended by Metropolitan Hesychios of Capitolias, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, clergy of the Jerusalem Patriarchate and priests serving the local parish. Residents of Beit Jala, members of the local Orthodox community and scouting organizations also took part. The church choir provided the liturgical singing.

In his homily, Patriarch Theophilos III reflected on the Orthodox understanding of the feast. According to Christian tradition, the Virgin Mary was born to Joachim and Anna, an elderly couple who had been childless. Her birth is regarded by the Church as the beginning of the fulfillment of God's plan for the salvation of humanity and as a foretelling of the birth of Jesus Christ.

“The birth of the Mother of God proclaimed joy to the whole world,” the liturgical hymns of the feast proclaim.

The patriarch also called for prayers for peace in the region and emphasized the Virgin Mary as a symbol of hope and spiritual renewal.

The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary belongs to Beit Jala's Greek Orthodox community and is one of the city's principal Orthodox churches. The Jerusalem Patriarchate describes the building as dating from the 19th century. A 150th-anniversary celebration was held there in 2013, placing the foundation of the church at approximately the 1860s.

Located a few kilometers from Bethlehem, Beit Jala has historically been one of the centers of Arabic-speaking Orthodox Christianity in Palestine. In addition to the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the city is home to Orthodox churches dedicated to St. Nicholas and the Archangel Michael.

The Church of St. Nicholas holds a particular place in Beit Jala's Orthodox history. Local tradition maintains that a cave beneath the church is associated with St. Nicholas, who is said to have stayed there during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Monastic settlements existed at the site, while the church itself has undergone several reconstructions over the centuries.

The Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God was also marked at Gethsemane, near the Tomb of the Mother of God. The service there was led by Archbishop Theophan of Gerassa.