Under the tyrant regime of the Ottoman Empire, Christians of the Holy Land had to find ways to practice their faith without bringing too much attention to themselves. Haifa was not an exception, and Christians, who made over 50% of the population of Haifa back then, had to maneuver to build more places of worship.

Built in 1862 in the middle of "Haret el Kanayes" (Arabic - meaning Neighborhood of Churches), what is known today as "Kiriat Hamemshala" (Hebrew - meaning Government's Campus), The Madonna Church was one of the most important Christian worship centers in Haifa. In 1936 it was officially associated with the Melkite Catholic Church.

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In the past the compound contained a big Church a monastery and a school. The center was very active, having been located in the middle of the old city, and due to the fact that it had many monks willing and actively serving the community. The place was so important to the native Christians that over 12 monks were buried under it, and later on the resting place of Bishop Grogorious Hajjar, Bishop of the Arabs and Christ of the East, and late Bishop Maximus Sallum.

With the Zionist forces entering the city of Haifa, the whole neighborhood was demolished. The Madonna Church and the compound buildings around it were severely damaged, and the only standing witness to its existence was the sad half-ruined Church in the middle of a sea of rubbles. Only thirty years later, in 1982, a man named Kamil Shehade along with his wife Agnes Shehade and many members of the community decided to take action and turn the abandoned Church into an active center of worship and a warm home for anyone who is in need for help in general and prisoners in specific. Reserving the unique architecture of the building, and dependent solely on faith and the help of friends from abroad and the local community helping with workforce, the Church and the surrounding buildings were restored and functional.

The Madonna Church once again stands tall glorifying the Lord, a witness from past and present to the faith and boldness of Christians who refused to surrender and God's grace and great love to his children. In the middle of modern cold governmental buildings, House of Grace and the Madonna Church is an oasis of hope for many individuals and families who find comfort in the service and welcoming environment House of Grace provides for those who have no one else to turn to.

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