Bringing Home the Bad and the Good News
Catholic Relief Services’ Parish Homily Program visits Bethlehem University

15 January, 2008

Four representatives of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community, visited Bethlehem University together with five participants of Global Fellows: A Parish Homily Program on Thursday, 10 January, 2008. CRS developed Global Fellows: A Parish Homily Program to connect priests, deacons and seminarians with people in the developing world with the aim of raising awareness about social justice and peace around the world in their home parishes.

The visitors were greeted by Brother Jack Curran, the University's Vice President for Development, Brother Neil Kieffe, the Director of Instructional Technology, Brother Joseph Lowenstein, the Director of the brothers’ community, and Mr. Max Brenner, the Public Relations and Development Assistant. After a visit to Bethlehem University's Chapel of the Divine Child, the guests proceeded to Cardinal Furno Hall where they learned more about the work of the only Christian university in the Holy Land. They were especially interested to know how the Israeli military incursions affected the academic mission of the University and what problem the institution faces due to the Israeli military occupation. After watching a short film about the impact of the Israeli incursion into Bethlehem during the second intifada in 2002, Brother Neill and Brother Joseph, who were living in Bethlehem during the 40 days of strict curfew, shared their personal experiences with the guests.

“The university was hit by four Israeli anti-tank missiles, although there were no Palestinian militants on the campus. One hit the university library and three were stuck the Millennium Hall, a faculty office and classroom building which had just been opened one month before. Due to the fact that those missiles were of a type that can be guided with a remote control, I don’t think those attacks were just random”, Brother Neill commented. Brother Joseph added that “the campus was also occupied by the army for five days. As it is strategically important as the highest point in Bethlehem, over 100 soldiers entered the campus and used it as their quarters. They refused to allow the brothers to leave their community house.  Fortunately  during the incursion no one was injured or killed on the campus.”

Moreover, the brothers told their guests that although there haven’t been any military attacks on the University since those events in 2002, the University and its students, faculty and staff faced and continue to face daily hardships because of the Israeli military occupation. Because of the Israeli separation wall and checkpoints, Palestinian students commuting from Jerusalem to Bethlehem are delayed on their way to the university and are often  treated in an arbitrary and humiliating manner by the Israeli Military. Furthermore, a large number of the students living in the West Bank are not allowed to leave the territory.

However, the brothers stressed that despite the difficult circumstances and psychological pressure, Bethlehem University students, faculty and staff continue with their struggle for high quality education and have been very successful in the last years. 
While touring the campus the brothers showed their guests the hole in the library building from the Israeli missile, which has been preserved as part of the Palestinian Heritage Center, “Turathuna”, located in the same area, and the holes from the bullets fired in Brother Joseph’s direction, which still can be seen at the entrance of the brothers’ home.

The University tour was followed by dinner in the brothers’ home where they exchanged more stories in a quiet and relaxing environment. At the end of the visit, the group thanked the brothers for their “outstanding hospitality” and the precious first-hand information they received.

The Catholic Relief Services' Global Fellows: A Parish Homily Program offered an overseas immersion trip so the participants could experience the plight of the poor and marginalized overseas. Upon their return, CRS empowers these same priests, deacons, and seminarians to preach in parishes across the U.S. about social justice and peace around the world. The Global Fellows: A Parish Homily Program also engages Catholics with the world's poor by inviting them to act on the inspirational stories they hear when a Global Fellow visits their parish.

“There really is a lot to tell our people about”, one of  the participants in the program said after visiting Bethlehem University. “You are doing an extremely important job amid those difficult circumstances. It is our responsibility to bring home the bad, but also the good news.”