Deir Rafat center for believers and Holy Land pilgrims. The façade of the convent church bears the Latin inscription "Reginae Palaestinae", lit. "to the Queen of Palestine", and carries a 6-metre statue of the Virgin Mary. The church ceiling is decorated with a painting showing angels carrying banners with the first words of the Hail Mary prayer in 280 languages. Since 2009, the convent is in the care of the female branch of the Catholic order known as "the Monastic Family of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin and of Saint Bruno", called the monastic Sisters of Bethlehem. Deir Rafat Deir
Our Lady, Star of the Sea the early thirteenth century. The abbey was destroyed several times, but a refounded Stella Maris monastery is still considered the headquarters of the order. Devotions to this title of Mary are found in the popular Catholic hymn, "Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star" and the ancient prayer "Ave Maris Stella". The widely sung "Sicilian Mariners Hymn", O Sanctissima, also reflects this devotion. Our Lady, Star of the Sea is the patroness of the Netherlands. The Roman Catholic Church honors Our Lady, Star of the Sea, with a feast day assigned to September 27. The Apostleship of the Sea (AOS)