STUDIUM THEOLOGICUM SALESIANUM The Salesian Pontifical University's Jerusalem Campus of the Faculty of Theology, Studium Theologicum Salesianum (STS) carries on the academic tradition of the former Salesian Centre for Theological Studies established in Bethlehem (1929), then transferred to Tantur (1949), to Cremisan (1957) and to Jerusalem in September 2004. It is located a short 20 minute walk from the Old City of Jerusalem. The goal of the STS is to promote the study of a deeper understanding of the mystery of Christ, as proposed by divine revelation and as interpreted by the teaching authority of the Church. This study centre aims particularly at the theological formation of candidates to the priesthood.
CONTENTS President’s Message
03
Opening of the Academic Year 2014-15
04
Dies Academicus 2014-2015
05
Seminars and Conferences
08 - 14
Topographical & Archaeological Visits
15 - 23
News
24 - 29
Past Pupils' Corner
29 - 031
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The STS offers a four-year Pontifical Bachelor's Degree in Theology. The STS follows a two semester system (September-January and February-June). In addition to students who do the regular four-year degree program, STS welcomes students who want to study a selection of courses in theology. The lay and religious students and faculty come from various religious orders and congregations and rites within the Catholic Church. You can get to know us better at www.jerusalem.unisal.it. We also have a well furnished, computerized library containing over 36,000 volumes and close to 100 periodicals in various languages - the majority being in English, Italian and French. You can check our library catalogue on our website. You can contact us at secretary@jerusalem.unisal.it
www.jerusalem.unisal.it
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Friends, The students and staff of the Salesian Pontifical University's Jerusalem Campus are happy to wish you an abundance of God's blessings during this Christmas and throughout the New Year 2015. We began the new academic year 2014-2015 in September. We have been blessed with a very vibrant new batch of students who come from various Religious Congregations, Diocesan Seminaries and from the Laity. We also thankfully received equally vibrant new members into the faculty. In synchrony with the vision and goals set for the institution, this academic year focuses on a study of the Eastern/Oriental Churches. Seminars and Conferences on the various Churches are expanding our minds and hearts. The highlight of these was the lectio magistralis delivered by His Beatitude Cardinal George Alencherry on “The Role of the Eastern Churches in the Communion of the Catholic Church”. Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey, Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarchal Vicar welcomed the academic body to the Melkite Patriarchate and explained the Melkite Catholic tradition. Bishop Gregoire Boutros Melki, Catholic Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem explained the Syro-Catholic tradition. Rev. Dr Pier Giorgio Gianazza, SDB, author of the two volume series on Oriental Theology (Temi di Teologia Orientale) and of the book on Holy Land and the Origins of Christianity (La Terra Santa e le Origini Cristiane) gave a panoramic view of the communion of the Christian Churches. Fr Frans Bouwen, M. Afr., consultant to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and member of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church delivered a conference on: “The Churches of the East in Dialogue: with the Catholic Church and among Themselves”. More conferences are planned for the year. (The Studium Theologicum Salesianum through these events tries to make the best use of studying theology in the Holy Land in the context of many Churches and religions. The last two years focused on the study of Islam and Judaism respectively). In the context of the study of the Churches, the Studium co-organized and participated in an Inter-faith Conference on Faith and Ecology. This conference brought together Christians, Jews, Muslims and Secular persons to reflect on the common duty to take care of the environment. Other highlights of this academic year include the celebration of the bi-centenary of the birth of Don Bosco and the year dedicated to Consecrated Life. The bi-centenary of Don Bosco will be celebrated with a Conference on the Challenges in Contemporary Education and Don Bosco's Educative System, which will be guided by Rev. Dr Pascual Chavez, former Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The Year of Consecrated Life will be marked by a workshop on psychosexual maturity to be guided by Brother Peter Iorlano of Bethlehem University. Christmas marks wonder and awe evoked by the simplest things of life. It is the feast of the little ones, of humility. The Lord of the universe takes the form of a baby in the manger. A humble handmaid of Nazareth becomes the mother of the Lord! It is a time to be grateful – grateful for the marvels the Lord has done in our lives. It is the time to shout with Mary “the Almighty has done great things for me”. Let the celebration of Christmas be an occasion for us to acknowledge and thank God and fellow human beings for every blessing we enjoy in this life. May it be an occasion for us to commit ourselves to serve in humility, in imitation of the baby in the manger. Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year 2015!
Rev. Dr Biju Michael, SDB President / Principal Studium Theologicum Salesianum
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NEWS
OPENING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-15 Jerusalem, 17 September 2014 Reported by:Romero D' Souza SDB
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he Opening of the Academic Year began with the celebration of the Word of God, presided by Fr Andrew Wong SDB, the Rector of the Salesian Monastery Ratisbonne, Jerusalem. The Liturgy and the Music Ministry was well animated and coordinated by Frs. Karol Kulpa SDB and Moses Wanjala SDB respectively. Fr Wong, in his sharing after the Word of God, laid stress on the importance of theology, as to be in communion with God – to know God, to love God and to serve God. He wished for the staff and the students during the coming year, as the year of grace and opportunity, to grow in love and wisdom, in knowledge and the spirit of acceptance for the future ministry for the people of God. The teachers made their Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity. The Opening ceremony held in Don Bosco hall, began at 10:15 am with the words of welcome by Deacon Kristian Laygo SDB, the Student Representative. Sr. Mary Colman Pyle F.S.E., the Registrar of STS, then presented the Academic Report of the Year 2013-2014 in which she highlighted the following points: academic activities, topographical visits, archaeological excursions, conferences, seminars, and library status. After the report, Rev. Fr. Eric Wyckoff SDB (Academic Council Member & Professor of Sacred
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Scripture), presented the new students with their academic status, and welcomed them in a very creative and caring way with the help of a PowerPoint presentation. Thereafter we had Rev. Fr. Dominique Arnauld, M.Afr., (Academic Council Member & Professor of Church History), introduce the new members of the teaching staff (Frs. Andrew Wong SDB, Moses Wanjala SDB, Samuel Obu SDB, Karol Kulpa SDB, Vincent Raj John Bosco SDB, and Matteo Balla, SDB) who have joined the teaching staff in the first semester. The students and Staff come from 34 nations. The Final word was given by Rev. Dr. Biju Michael SDB, the Principal of the STS. He thanked the assembly for being present for this ceremony, and drew attention to the rich and diverse faculty that the STS is blest and fortunate to have in the year 2014-2015. He reminded us of the STS celebrating its 5th anniversary year as a Faculty of
Theology and the 10th anniversary of its presence in Jerusalem. He presented in brief the plan of the academic year 2014-2015 in which he made a special note of key events and seminars to be held at the STS. The students scoring the highest marks in the year groups were recognized and awarded by the Institute. Awards were presented by Fr. Andrew Wong SDB and Fr. Matteo Balla SDB. Sandy Habib scored highest marks in the 3rd year, Luca De Muro in the 2nd year and Herve Toughma in the first year. Fr Biju concluded his talk by giving us a message from the book: Think like a Freak (2014) in which he emphasized the well known but rarely used expression: “I don't know.” If one is not able to admit what one does not know, it will be virtually impossible to learn anything new. He exhorted the assembly to approach the year of learning with open minds and a desire for truth. He then cited Pope Benedict XVI's teaching that Faculties of Theology are meant to promote the knowledge and love of God who
loved us first. Theology has the twin aim of making our love motivate us to know more and our increasing knowledge lead to love God even more. He then declared the 2014-2015 Academic Year open, receiving a long and loud applause. On behalf of STS he also gave the vote of thanks to all those who contributed to the success of the Opening of the Academic Year 2014-2015. Election of Year-group Leaders The inaugural programme was followed by the first Student Assembly led by the Student Representative Deacon Kristian Laygo SDB. We had discussions and clarifications with regard to the academic life in light of a better facilitation and organization for this year. We also had our Batch Leaders elected. Denny Kizhakkarakkattu (Diocese of Chur, Switzerland) was elected leader of the 4th year, Carmel Myrthong, SDB of the 3rd year, HerveTougma, M.Afr, of the 2nd year and Vladimir
DIES ACADEMICUS 2014-2015 Jerusalem, 20 November 2014 Reported by: Jarek Budny sdb, Romero D' Souza sdb & David Elweu M.Afr
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n the occasion of its Annual Day, DIES ACADEMICUS, 20 November 2014, the Jerusalem Campus of the Salesian Pontifical University (Studium Theologicum Salesianum) hosted His Beatitude George Cardinal Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, who delivered a Lectio Magistralis on THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL (SUI IURIS) CHURCHES WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. The words of welcome were given by the Rector of the Salesian Monastery Ratisbonne, Rev. Fr. Andrew
Wong after which we had the choir of the STS singing "Dona Nobis Pacem." We then had the Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine, His Excellency Most Rev. Giuseppe Lazzaroto, who proposed the "way of Gaudium et Spes - the common good of humanity." The president of the campus (STS), Rev. Fr. Biju Michael, introduced the Guests of honor:His Excellency Most Rev. Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine; His Lordship Most Rev. William H. Shomali, Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine; His Lordship Most Rev. Joseph Jules Zerey, Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarchal Vicar; His Lordship Most Rev. Grégoire Boutros Melki, Syro-Catholic Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and representatives of
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Institutes of Theology and Religious houses in Jerusalem.The representative of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Jerusalem also participated. In his introductory remarks, the Cardinal congratulated the Salesian Pontifical University for the appropriate timing of the day's lecture, "... today's lecture is quite well timed particularly because this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium of Vatican II and the Decrees Orientalium Ecclesiarum and Unitatis Redintegratio. These three documents were promulgated on November 21, 1964 and this conference takes place here today on the 20th of November 2014 just one day before the semi centennial jubilee of that historic event." He began by quoting Pope Francis speaking on the unity and holiness of the Church and stressed the need to live as a community centered on Christ; he proposed a theoretical as well as practical ecumenism based on the above three documents. Later in his lecture, the Cardinal insistently stated that the unity of Christians would only be possible if there is a change of heart (an interior conversion) enlightened by faith, guided by prayer and an openness to live in fraternal harmony. Unity though, he said, is not uniformity, giving the example of his own Church. "The Syro-Malabar Church or the Church of St. Thomas Christians of India is as old as Christianity itself in the Indian soil." The Cardinal acknowledged that there are slight differences in liturgical practices between the Syro-Malabar Church and the Latin Church yet, he said, the two have never broken communion. Then, referring to the unity between the 23 Catholic Churches of the East and West that have kept intact the faith received from the Apostles, His Beatitude quoted Pope St. John Paul II to stress the need for unity, "The Church must learn to breathe again with its two lungs: its Eastern one and its Western one." He then highlighted the most important aspects of the following themes which are indisputably crucial for dialogue between Christian churches: the Church is a Communion of Churches; Individual (sui iuris) Churches and Rites; Canonical Definition of Church sui iuris and Rite; the Prayer of Jesus-the Heart of Our Unity; Gift of God - Not the fruit of a Treaty; the Eucharist and Unity; the Role of Eastern Catholic Churches (sui iuris) in the Path towards Church Unity, and Collaboration in the Field of Evangelization and Pastoral Care. In his concluding remarks, His Beatitude made a call to unity, one that encompasses all the Christian Churches:
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"We all irrespective of easterners or westerners, Catholics or non-Catholics, should be seriously concerned about the current cultural and social trends that are leading to a progressive de-Christianization and secularization everywhere, particularly in Europe. If we do not stand together and act accordingly, the evangelization process will deteriorate and the primary mission, which Christ entrusted to us, will not bear fruit. We always and everywhere have to affirm our commitment to work for Christian unity as desired by Christ. "Then he called the keen attention of the audience "to the plight of Christians living here in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria and other religious and ethnic minorities who are suffering because of the violence raging across the region, which must certainly be an important subject of our reflection
HIS BEATITUDE GEORGE CARDINAL ALENCHERRY His Beatitude George Cardinal Alencherry is the spiritual leader of the 4.6 million Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The Syro-Malabar Church has 5 Archdioceses and 26 Dioceses in the world and close to 600,000 faithful who live outside these dioceses – a good number in the Middle East. The Church has 8,547 priests, 32,114 religious women and 1,214 major seminarians. Many of them work in the sister Churches, mostly in the Latin Church. The Syro-Malabar Church runs 2,614 health and charitable institutions and 4,860 educational institutions. Cardinal Alencherry serves the universal Catholic Church through various bodies of the Vatican: Member of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Member of the Congregation of the Oriental Churches and Member of the International Council for Catechesis (Congregation of the Clergy). The Cardinal has an earned Doctorate in Biblical Theology from the Sorbonne University in France.
and prayer."In the context of this humanitarian catastrophe, the Cardinal added, "I feel that the world conscience is not fully awake to the gravity of the situation. Therefore it is high time that the international community intervene with concrete and effective plans to establish peace, promote freedom of religion and consciousness and eradicate religious fundamentalism which has gone to the extreme level of violating human rights." The lectio magistralis was followed by a time of dialogue on the topic with his Beatitude. Some pertinent questions were raised to which Cardinal George responded in a very
friendly and realistic manner. This was followed by the release of the book Tu Giovanni written by Rev. Fr. Joan Vernet, the Professor of Biblical History and Archeology. The new edition in Arabic of the Liturgical Hymns published by the Patriarchate was also presented to the audience. The event concluded with the melodious singing of “On Eagle's Wings” by the STS choir and a time of fellowship with refreshments. The STS is dedicating the entire academic year to a focused study of the Oriental/Eastern Churches through conferences and visits to the various churches in Jerusalem.
Cardinal Alencherry launched a new collaborative venture by the Salesian Pontifical University – Jerusalem and the Franciscans of the Holy Land. The programme is called: HEARTS AFLAME (Cf. Lk 24: 32) Walking with Jesus in His Land. It is a 20-day English language renewal programme for priests and religious who want to re-charge themselves with Jesus (Cf. Lk 9: 10ff), to be with him, walking in his land, to become even more miraculously effective in their ministry (five loaves turned into food for five thousand!). HEARTS AFLAME is envisaged to be a unique opportunity to get hearts aflame like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus (Cf. Lk 24:32). The first programme is announced for April 20 - May 10, 2015. It will include orientation classes, pilgrimage in Israel, Palestine and Jordan, and spiritual retreat in Jerusalem. For details contact: heartsaflame@magipilgrimages.com
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SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES
SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES The unique location/placement of STS in Jerusalem gives ample opportunity for inviting people with specific experience and who are members of different religions or churches to join us, or we are able to visit them and to pray with them and to have interreligious dialogue on varied frontiers. It also gives students an exposure to the reality which is aptly contextualized in the nature and mission of the STS. The lectures focused on Ecumenism and Inter-Religious Dialogue during the first semester of the academic year were: Panoramic View of the Oriental Churches – Fr. Pier Giorgio Gianazza Melkite Church - Most Rev. Joseph-Jules Zerey, Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarchate Crossing the Tiber – Steve Ray Interfaith Ecology Conference - (Jewish, Muslim, Christian Clerics) Syriac Church - Most Rev. Grégoire Pierre Melki, Syro-Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem The Role of the Eastern Churches in the Communion of the Catholic Church – Cardinal George Alencherry The Churches of the East in Dialogue: with the Catholic Church and among themselves – Rev. Fr. Frans Bouwen, M. Afr.
PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE ORIENTAL CHURCHES 24 September 2014 Reported by: Romero D' Souza SDB
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he staff and students of STS had an orientation talk on the topic Panoramic View of the Oriental Churches delivered by Rev. Dr. Pier Giorgio Gianazza, author of a number of books on the topic. Firstly, Dr. Gianazza briefly stated to the assembly the origin and division of Oriental Orthodox Churches; secondly, he proposed the two major problems that led to the division of the same, viz., the early centuries of the Roman Empire and the disputes about Christology and Fundamental Theology; and the nature, role and function of authority in the Church. Dr. Gianazza, after a brief presentation of the origin and the division of the Oriental and Eastern Churches, further developed his talk on Eastern Churches, laying emphasis on the word itself 'eastern.' Dr. Gianazza presented the distinguishing characteristics of these Churches which include the creed, the doctrines, the liturgy as well as the sacraments. In the latter half of his talk, Dr. Gianazza elaborated on the 15 or 16 autocephalous bodies of this Church.
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All the matter was presented to us with the help of well illustrated facts and figures, precise charts and definite tables, and with historical-regional maps in a very concise and systematic way which led to further reflective questions from the assembly. As a way ahead in dialogue, Dr. Gianazza pointed to all Churches moving towards Christ in unity and proposed Acts 2:42 as a guiding principle which seeks a) unity of Faith, b) unity in sacraments, and c) unity through communion.
THE GREEK MELKITE CATHOLIC CHURCH Jerusalem, 8 October 2014 Reported by: Andrea Lupi SDB
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he staff and students of the STS had a journey through the Greek Catholic Melkite Church. We had the privilege of being accompanied by the Patriarchal Vicar, Most Reverend Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey. In our meeting, after a brief autobiographical presentation made by Archbishop Joseph himself, we were introduced to the history and current reality of the Greek Catholic Melkite Church. He explained its historical evolution: the relationship with the other Catholic and non-Catholic Churches as well as the contemporary challenges. In this talk he shared his thirst for unity and communion of the whole Church.
In the end Archbishop Joseph responded to our questions and exhorted all of us to have an encounter of ecumenical dialogue. He encouraged us in living the authenticity of Christ as the only possible way to live a Christian life. He told us: “Without a real love for Jesus Christ you will not understand anything of your studies!� Deacon Arcadius Puwein thanked the Archbishop for his inimitable communication skills and for his great generosity in hosting the STS students and staff. Our trip ended with a visit to the roof of the Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem from which we enjoyed a magnificent sight of Jerusalem.
After this we had the opportunity to visit the church, in which the Archbishop explained to us the Byzantine religious art. He then introduced us to a living contact with the Liturgy of the Melkite Rite - especially the Eucharist.
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STEVE RAY SPEAKS ON CROSSING THE TIBER Jerusalem, 15 October 2014 Reported by: Vernon Lushibashi SDB
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here was great joy in Don Bosco Hall of the STS in Jerusalem due to a wonderful presentation given by Steve Ray on “Crossing the Tiber”. The welcoming remarks were given by Deacon George Phiri. Steve is a best-selling author and international speaker, pilgrimage guide to Israel and Biblical Lands. Moreover, he is a video producer, Bible study writer and teacher, frequent guest on radio and TV. Currently, he is producing the very popular documentary series with Ignatius Press “The Footprints of God: The Story of Salvation from Abraham to Augustine.” In a nutshell, Steve's presentation was mainly to share with the students and the teaching staff how he and his family moved from the Baptist tradition to become Catholic. He entered the Catholic Church in 1994. He began with a very common question which is mainly found in the protestant world; “Are you born again?” Steve asserted that to be born again is to be born of water and the spirit (John 3:1-7), the tradition in the Catholic Church.
Thus, he encouraged Catholics to be true witnesses of the word of God (Bible). “Catholics should not be afraid to proclaim Jesus as the saviour and to love the Bible” he said. He further asked Catholics to grow in faith and proclaim faithfully what they believe. Moreover, Steve shared with the audience what he admires in the Catholic Church; the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist on the Altar. He also elaborated on worship, authority and morals – the three elements that drew him to the Catholic Church. Steve summed up his presentation by urging the audience to continue the mission of Christ. The question and answer session at the end received much participation.
PANEL DISCUSSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND RELIGION
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On 9 December 2014, the STS was represented by its President, Rev. Dr Biju Michael at the Panel Discussion on Environmental Sustainability and Religion, organized at the Jerusalem Cultural Centre on Mt. Zion. The event was organized by the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. The participants were 45 young Jews from Young Judaea Year Course. The young people coming from the USA and spending a semester or a complete year in Israel participated very actively with many questions and comments to the Panel of Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious leaders. Rabbi Yonatan Neril represented the Jewish Faith and Yasmin Barhum represented Islam. The Panel was chaired by Rachel Winner.
CONFERENCE ON FAITH AND ECOLOGY Jerusalem, 22 October 2014 Reported by: Clarence Kharmawlong
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n October 22 nd , the Studium Theologicum Salesianum in collaboration with The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Jerusalem organized a conference on Faith and Ecology at the Mishkenot Sha'ananim Conference Center, Jerusalem. The conference started with the words of welcome from Dr. Michael Borchard, Head of Israel Office, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Fr. Biju Michael, President of the Salesian Pontifical University's Jerusalem Campus and from Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Michael pointed out that the ideology about ecology should not only be a contribution but should move to a level of commitment. He also informed us that ecology can be approached from two perspectives: as a provocation from religious and faith dimension where our practice of religion and faith is not only on a vertical level but also on a horizontal level. The second perspective demands that it is high time for us to act responsibly. In his greetings, Fr. Biju Michael stated that as people of faith we need to
understand that commitment to creation is an essential element of the faith. He also recalled the prayer over the gifts in the Eucharistic Celebration in order to stress the relation between creation, human work and God. The morning session was a panel discussion. The Moderator was Rabbi Michael Melchior, a former member of Knesset and the panelists were Most Rev. Bishop William Shomali, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, Imam Wisam Barhum and Dr. Nurit Hashmony Yaffe. In his opening remark, Rabbi Michael Melchior recalled to us that the creation story is a commandment for us to take care of and protect the environment for the future and if we fail to do so, we are committing a crime. Bishop Shomali on behalf of the Christian community pointed out that creation is a reflection of God's beauty and we humans are stewards of this creation. However man has damaged this beauty through many ways. To solve the issue Bishop Shomali called for trilogy collaboration among the faith leaders, the politicians, and the scientists. On behalf of the Muslim community, Imam Wisam Barhum spoke about creation as the work of Allah without any corruption. Allah will reward those who protect the environment. Man on the other hand sanctifies God by protecting the environment. Rabbi Yuval Cherlow speaking on behalf of the Jewish religion called us to examine if we, as religious people, are contributing to the solution of the environmental crisis or if we are part of the problem. He also pointed out that man being created in the image
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of God is always active and his relationship with God is not only by observing the law, but by taking care of the environment. As its stewards we should blend tradition and innovation. After Rabbi Cherlow, Dr. Nurit Yaffe from the Academic College of Tel AvivYaffo, presented to us the basic facts about the ecological crisis in the present world and told us that we should protect the environment and promote peace. After the presentation from the panelists there was an open floor discussion which was followed by a video presentation on ecology by different faith leaders from around the world. In the afternoon there were three sessions. The first session was an outdoor experiential learning session where we were called to appreciate the beauty of creation that is around us. The second session was the Interactive Breakout workshop on ecology from different faith perspectives and the participants could freely choose which lecture to join. The third afternoon session was
based on Faith Group Action – Planning. This session was divided among the various faith groups to discuss what concrete steps we can implement after the conference. The concluding session of the conference was addressed by Rabbi Dov Lipman a member of the Knesset who stressed the importance of protecting the environment, so much so that we should first plant the sapling that is in our hand then go out to meet the Messiah. The concluding remarks were given by Rabbi Yonatan Neril. All in all it was a day of learning on ecology which was indeed a fruitful and an enriching experience for the participants of all faiths to provide a decisive stand in caring for Creation.
CONFERENCE ON THE SYRO-CATHOLIC CHURCH: BISHOP GRÉGOIRE BOUTROS MELKI, SYRO-CATHOLIC PATRIARCHAL EXARCH OF JERUSALEM Jerusalem, 5 November 2014 Reported by: Alemayehu Bedassa SDB
to the Church Fathers. This Church has been in communion with Rome since 1636.
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everend Bishop Grégoire Boutros Melki, began by explaining to us the historical background of the Syro-Catholic Church which belongs to the See of Antioch, established by St. Peter, stating historical and biblical references. For instance, it is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles that the followers of Jesus are called Christians for the first time at Antioch (Acts 11:26). Then the Apostolic foundation continued and was handed over
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He further elaborated on the rootedness and the tradition of the Syriac Rite of both the Churches of Jerusalem and Antioch. He spoke of the Christological status/position of the Syrians in the Church. He then went on to speak of the restoration of the Christians in the world by expounding on the celebration of the Liturgy of the hours and the Economy of Salvation. The bishop mentioned in brief the Malkite and Maronite Churches, which have similar rites. The spirituality of the Church is manifested through liturgy of the hours (morning and evening prayers). He explained in detail about the liturgy of the Church as follows: Themes of the Weekdays–Monday-repentance and conversion, Tuesday - the kingdom of God present
through the word, Wednesday - the mystery of incarnation through Mary and Holy Spirit, Thursday - the mystery of Eucharist, Friday - the mystery of the cross, the witness of the martyrs, Saturday - death and immortality of Jesus, and on Sunday - Resurrection. Calendar of the Year - There are seven seasons, each has seven weeks: 1. Annunciation and Nativity; 2. Baptism and Epiphany; 3. Passion and Resurrection; 4. Resurrection and Pentecost; 5. The mission of the apostles in the world; 6. Transfiguration and 7. The season of the cross. On worship he further added the significance of Eucharistic Celebration as Rosi (the mystery of the body and blood of Jesus Christ). He also elaborated on the importance of the number 'seven' in the liturgy of the Syrian Church.
In the latter half of his paper he presented the historicity of the Patriarchal Eparchy of Beirut and also commented on the Syriac Catholic Community around the world. The Bishop mentioned also their presences in different countries: China, India, USA, Australia, Brazil, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Beirut, Turkey, etc. Finally after the questionnaire session, the moderator of the meeting, Frederic Masson, thanked the Bishop for his scholarly and well presented paper. We received much knowledge about the Syriac-Catholic Church and we are very grateful to Bishop Gregoire Boutros Melki.
THE CHURCHES OF THE EAST IN DIALOGUE: WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND AMONG THEMSELVES Jerusalem, 3rd December 2014 Reported by: Javier Orengo SDB & Romero D' Souza SDB
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e the Staff and students of STS gathered at 3:00 pm in the Don Bosco Hall for the conference delivered by Rev. Fr. Frans Bouwen M. Afr. We began with the introduction given by Bro. Hervé Tougma M. Afr. in which he introduced the Belgian born Fr Bouwen. He is the editor of Prôche-Orient Chrétien and member of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and of the Middle East Council of Churches. He has been for many years a consultant to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. He is member of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
Rev. Fr. Frans Bouwen began by giving us a brief introduction in which he said, “Dialogue is a calling to live, to breathe, and to pray in communion.” He elaborated on the 3 communions or families of Churches: Eastern Orthodox Church; Oriental Orthodox Churches; and Assyrian Church of the East. And in the second part of his presentation he dealt with the crux of Theological dialogue (dialogue of truth) and life in communion (dialogue of love).
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Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church: Fr Bouwen stated that the pioneers of dialogue were Pope John XXIII, Patriarch Athenagoras I, and Pope Paul VI. It began in the context of Vatican II and the announcement of the Panorthodox Synod. Another step closer to dialogue of love was established with the meeting of Paul VI and Athenagoras of Constantinople and Benedictos of Jerusalem. Paul VI in 1967 for the first time used the expression “Sister Churches”. The announcement of Theological Dialogue came with Pope John Paull II in the year 1979. The International Theological Commission (composition, aim, method) had 13 sessions till the present year discussing issues that are relevant to the dialogue of Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. Some of the important issues taken up by this commission were: “The Mystery of the Church and of the Eucharist at the Light of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity;” “Unity in Faith, Sacraments and Unity of the Church;” “The Sacrament of Order in the Sacramental Structure of the Church, with Particular Reference to the Importance of the Apostolic Succession for the Sanctification and the Unity of the People of God;” “Uniatism, Method of Union of the Past, and the present Search for Full Communion;” “Ecclesiological and canonical implications of Uniatism;” “Ecclesiological and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Structure of the Church;” “Conciliarity and Authority in the Church;” “The role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church during the first Millennium;” and “Synodality and Primacy.” Between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church: Fr Bouwen presented the dialogue agreements with different churches: The Syrian Orthodox Church (1971); The Coptic Orthodox Church (1973); The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (1994); The Armenian Orthodox Church (1996); The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (2009) and its relation with
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the declaration of the Christological affirmation by a Theological Dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox Churches (as a family). From the year 2003 till 2014 they had 11 meetings in which they discussed terms of commonality for the better and a collaborative Church – Communion Living. The year 2009 marked and adopted the first common document “Nature, Constitution and Mission of the Church;” and in the same year they began a new study: “Communion and Councils in first five centuries.” For 2014 forward they took the theme of “Unity and Sacraments.” Between the Assyrian Church of the East and the Catholic Church: Fr Bouwen spoke of the visit of Patriarch Catholicos Denkha IV to Rome in 1984 and the arrival at a common Christological declaration in 1994. In 2005 was formed an International Commission for Theological Dialogue. A new commission was set up in 2014. In conclusion he stressed the importance of positive attitudes that will lead to a dialogue of love that prepares hearts and minds also for a dialogue of truth (theological dialogue). He noted that there is a new emphasis with Pope Francis. There were critical and essential queries that were raised to which Fr Bouwen responded in a very simple yet insightful manner.
TOPOGRAPHICAL VISITS TOPOGRAPHICAL VISITS The distinctive character that highlights a biblical formation of the students is the monthly topographical visits to the ethnic and culturally rich places in Jerusalem. The first year students are blest to have these spiritual and enjoyable trips around the city of Jerusalem. This year the guide is Father Joan Maria Vernet. They are normally half day trips, and are an opportunity for experiencing and contemplating the mysteries of our faith and the lives of the people of early times in Church History and the Bible. The articles mentioned below are accounts of experiences to the visited places.
THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM Jerusalem, 13 September 2014 Reported by: Christopher Lourduswamy
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n the second day of the academic induction programme, the new students joining the Salesian University's Jerusalem Campus were led by Fr. Joan Maria Vernet on a visit of the city of Jerusalem. The day began with an hour of introduction to the history and topography of Jerusalem with particular attention to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. After the lecture, the students were led on a walking tour through the western part of the city of Jerusalem and into the Old City. A good part of the time was spent in the Holy Sepulcher. The programme ended with a very friendly visit to the school and convent of the Salesian Sisters in Jerusalem.
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES Jerusalem, 18 September 2014 Reported by: Romero D' Souza SDB
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he topographical visit to the Mount (Mt) of Olives began with a brief orientation of the historical and geographical situation of the place in early and modern times. The resource person to guide us through this trip was Rev. Fr. Joan Maria Vernet SDB, a professor of Biblical History and Archaeology. He has been guiding groups in
the Holy Land for 30 years. His passion and interests are clearly revealed in his knowledge of the scriptural, biblical, historical, archaeological and geographical facts and traditions of the Holy Land. We began our topographical visit to the Mt. Olives at 7:45 am as scheduled. On our way to our destiny we first stopped at Mt. Scopus (Nancy & Lawrence Click Observation) from where we could see the Northern, Eastern and Western city of Jerusalem and where we located the situated landmarks that are important for us Christians (the Holy Sepulchre, The Redemption Church Bell Tower, The Hecht Synagogue, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Brigham University of Jerusalem Centre). We then proceeded to Mt. Olives and reached the Street of Martin Buber, the famous Augusta Victoria Hospital (wife of Wilhelm II, Germany) and Tower of the Redeemer, wherein we could locate the landmarks such as the Dead Sea, the Moab land and kingdom, the
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Mt. of temptation, and the tribe of Benjamin, as well as the person in the Old Testament, from the village Bahurim, a man named Shemei, who cursed David on his flight from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:30), near the village of Silwan. We then read some passages from the scripture (1 Samuel 21:1-10, 22:6-23; 2 Samuel 15:30-37, 16:5-14) and reflected on the times of the Old Testament. We continued to the Chapel of the Ascension of Jesus which was constructed in a Byzantine style during the 4th7th century, on orders of St Helena, the mother of Constantine I, but later it was demolished and converted into a Mosque which continues to remain as such. Presently, it is under the custody of Muslims. According to archaeologists and scripture scholars, this place cannot be accounted as the place of Ascension, but we believe that this place could be the possible place where Jesus was with his disciples for the last time (Acts of the Apostle 1:111). Pater Noster (Our Father), is a place which is believed to be one of the Grottos where Jesus used to teach his disciples as well as rest some nights. It is interesting to note that this place is not far from Bethany and scholars say that this place is of the famous family of Jesus' time, the family of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. The Basilica which now stands there was built by Constantine I under the direction of his mother St Helena in the early 4th century in a Byzantine style. There is also the presence of Carmelite Cloistered nuns located at the ruins of “Eleona.” This place is named after the classical and universally known prayer: “Our Father.” Jesus taught his disciples the prayer in this very place (Luke 11:2-4). This place also has 300 inscriptions of Pater Noster in various languages. Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept) was where the Lord wept according to the Gospel of Luke,
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chapter 19. The Church situated here was designed and constructed between the years 1953-1955 by the Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi and is held in trust by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. We visited the chapel which is unique because from here we can see the Holy Sepulchre. This place still has remains of the early mosaics, and in a special way the mosaic of all the fruits of the Holy Land. From there we could get a glimpse of the city walls of Jerusalem (eastern side) and we took note of the golden gate through which the Prince of Israel entered and is sealed as the prophecy would have it (Ezekiel 44). We could also see the Church of Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus (Mark 16). This was built in 1886 by Tsar Alexander 3 to honour his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. It was constructed to David Grimm' design with seven gilded onion domes, a style known in 16th/17th century in Russia. This Church is opened for public only on Tuesdays and Thursdays for two hours (10:00-12:00). We walked our way down toward the Garden and Basilica of Gethsemane. The Garden of Gethsemane is located at the foot of the Mt. of Olives and is known as the most famous place according to the Gospels, where Jesus
prayed with his disciples and slept the night before His crucifixion. It is interesting to note here that according to experts if an Olive tree is more than 6 meters wide it is accounted to be more than 2000 years old. In this Garden we have 8 olive trees that are more than10 meters wide. Adjacent to this garden is the Basilica of Gethsemane which is popularly known as the Basilica of the Agony. It is where Jesus prayed alone on the night of his arrest and where the betrayal by Judas was pronounced and acted out, and Jesus was arrested by the Romans. It is one of the most magnificent Churches, located on the east bank of valley Kidron at the foothill of the Mt. of Olives. The front of the Church, facing the temple mount is covered by a large mosaic picture. The windows in the present Church are made from translucent purplish-blue alabaster, which gives an intended dimmed-lighting effect to the interior. Six monolithic columns support 12 cupolas, the insides of which are decorated with mosaic tiles depicting the
national emblems of the donor communities. This Church is also popularly named – Church of All Nations. Finally we reached the Tomb of Mary. Roman Catholic teaching holds that Mary was “assumed” into heaven; however most theologians believe that she did undergo death before her Assumption. The inner structure is preceded by a walled courtyard to the south, with an underground rock-cut cave, entered by a wide descending stair dating from the 12th century but also has fossils still visible of the 4th century. On the eastern side of the Church there is the chapel of Mary's tomb and on the western side there is a Coptic altar. It also holds the tomb of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem. Presently, the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem is in possession of the shrine. All in all, it was a God experience to visit these places as faithful pilgrims and close followers of Jesus Christ.
THE TOWER OF DAVID Jerusalem, 2 October 2014 Reported by: Tiziano Conti SDB
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oday, the 1st Year students of the STS visited the upper pool and Jerusalem's Citadel, known as the Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem.
The upper pool was built around 2000 BC, to provide water to the Temple and the inhabitants of the Old city. When the city grew bigger, the lower pool was built and it was linked to the upper pool by a canal. The Tower of David is the iconic symbol of Jerusalem and is one of the most ancient and important historical and archaeological sites in Israel. The museum tells the 4000 year old story of the City of the three monotheistic faiths. We greatly benefited from our guide Fr. Joan MariaVernet, SDB, and we thank him for his competence and his spiritual intensity.
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THE ISRAEL MUSEUM Jerusalem, 6 November 2014 Reported by: Anil Kido SDB
The first year students of STS assembled at 1:30 pm in the hall for the short introductory session given by Fr. Joan Vernet SDB. The group was blessed to be guided and accompanied by him. It is believed that the Israel Museum contains works dating from prehistoric to the present day in archaeology. We went by public transport to the Museum. We were told that the museum has seven departments: Model of Jerusalem City, Shrine of the book complex, Open air museum, Jewish culture, Morden Painting, Archaeological Museum, and Cultural exhibition Museum. Due to the lack of time we restricted our visit to a few of the departments. We saw the Open air museum, model of Jerusalem city, archaeological museum. The Open Air
PETER IN GALLICANTU Jerusalem, 4th December, 2014 Reported by: Alemayehu Bedassa SDB
After an introductory class at 8.30, we began to walk toward the old city through the Jaffa gate. The first place we visited was the pillar on which was inscribed the name of Marcus the Officer of the Byzantine period which still stands in the old city. We proceeded further to the Cathedral of St. James which belongs to the Armenians, which is toward the south of the old city. Then we visited the Armenian seminary and Armenians cemetery. Next we left the old city, to the tomb of King David. The next place was the Cenacle – the Upper Room where Jesus
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Museum is one of the interesting museums where one could see the statues and the remains of the different periods like pieces of Synagogue of 3rd CE, and a segment of water pipe. The Model of Jerusalem City gives the overall view of the city during the time of Jesus. The Shrine of the Book Complex is also known as the home of Dead Sea Scrolls where the ancient biblical manuscripts and an exhibition on the daily life of the Judean desert sect are displayed. The Archaeological Museum was our last visit of the day. It is very rich in its unique collection from the ancient to the Byzantine period. At sunset, around 5 pm, some of us walked back home while others returned with public transport. It was a day of getting to know the history of the Holy Land (biblical & Historical) as well as the wealth (Archaeological) it stores today.
celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples. Because of the special sanctity of the site, it became the location of an early Jewish-Christian church known as the Church of the Apostles. It is also the place where the 1st council met and discussed about the matters of the Church. The other site which we visited was the Dormition Abbey on Mt. Zion. It is outside the old city, to the south. This is the new basilica built by the Germans and under the ground floor of the church there is another church where a round pillared room with a sculpture of Mary “asleep” in the center. On the ceiling above her is the figure of Jesus, as if watching over her, surrounded by the great women of the Bible: Eve, Miriam, Yael, Ruth, Esther and Judith. Mary's
statue is laid down in the center of the church. We sang the hymn: “Salve Regina.” Our last visit of the day was to St. Peter in Gallicantu. This is the place of the High Priest Anna where Peter denied three times, His Lord, Jesus before the cock crew three times (Cf. Luke 22: 54-62). Here we saw the prison mentioned in the gospel of John. Most probably here, St. Paul was also imprisoned. Going underground, we saw the
dry well where Jesus is believed to have been imprisoned by the soldiers for the night after his arrest. He must have suffered lot. Another account of the prophet Jeremiah is also said to have occurred in the same place (Jer 37:13-16; 38:4-7). Finally, we saw the path from where Jesus supposedly walked. We returned at 12:30 pm with something new we learnt about the old city as well as the Church of Peter in Gallicantu.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS The STS offers the students archaeological excursions which are organized every month. It enriches the students to acquire the basic geographical and archaeological knowledge of the Holy Land which is helpful for their theological study. The students submit study reports in creative styles that show the noteworthy elements of the places visited. These excursions are guided by Father Karol Kulpa SDB with the assistance of Father Joan Maria Vernet SDB.
PILGRIMAGE CUM STUDY TRIP TO GALILEE Jerusalem, 9 October – 11 October 2014 Reported by: Valdimir Plasek SDB & John Paul Vemo SDB
“Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him'” (Mt 28:7). An enriching pilgrimage cum study trip to Galilee was organized by the Studium Theologicum Salesianum (STS) from 9th to 11th October 2014. The pilgrimage, consisting of 20 members which began at 7.05 a.m. from the STS, under the experienced guidance of Fr. Joan M. Vernet SDB and Fr. Karol Kulpa SDB. Passing through the desert of Judea and the city of Jericho, we visited Jordan Valley, followed by visit
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL
to the Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha. We had Holy Mass at Capernaum beside the Lake of Galilee. After the Mass, we visited the Church of St. Peter and the remains of the Synagogue where Jesus declared that He is the Bread of Life. We had a delicious lunch at St. Peter's Restaurant in Capernaum, which was followed by the boat ride on the Lake of Galilee. In the middle of the Lake we read the Gospel and spent a few minutes in meditation. From the city of Tiberias, we went to Mount Tabor and from Mount Tabor we proceed towards Nazareth. We reached the FMA Convent, Nazareth at 6.20 p.m. where we had dinner and lodging. The day's programme concluded with the visit to the Salesian Community, where we were welcomed by the rector of the house and he explained to us the history and the various activities and apostolate the community renders to the people around. On 10 October we visited the following places: Banias Waterfalls, Hermon Spring or Banias Spring, one of the springs of the River Jordan. At Banias Spring, we spent a few minutes reading the Gospel passage of Mt. 16:13ff, where Jesus declared Peter as the rock upon which He will build His Church. After a few minutes of silent prayer, we renewed our baptismal promises and visited the abandoned grotto of Pan, the temple of Pan and the archaeological site of the city.
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Resuming our journey after the lunch, we stopped at the site of the extinct city of Korazim and proceeded to the Primacy of Peter, the place where Jesus prepared breakfast for his disciples after his resurrection from the death. From here, the bus took us to the Mount of Beatitudes, where we spent some quality time in prayer and meditation. We also visited the archaeological site of the village of Magdala and celebrated Holy Mass at the newly inaugurated church of Duc in Altum. We concluded the day with the visit to the Museum of Mary at Nazareth where we watched a movie starting from Mary's birth till the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On 11 October, we had the privilege of celebrating Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, which was followed by the visit to the Grotto of Annunciation, St. Joseph's workshop or the Church dedicated to St. Joseph, the Synagogue and the Milkite Catholic Church. Another interesting place we visited was 'Nazareth village' where we heard and saw the typical traditional life style of Palestine. Mary's Well or Spring was the last place we visited at Nazareth. Returning to the FMA Convent, Nazareth, we had a sumptuous lunch and we thanked the community for the generosity and hospitality they extended to us during our three days stay there. On our way back to the STS, we spent about 2 hours at the archaeological site of the extinct Zippori city, the main city of the first century. The culmination of the pilgrimage to Galilee was the visit to Cana, the place where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. We spend some time shopping in the city as remembrance of this place. We returned to our community at 7.00 pm. On our way back we carried memories of where Jesus talked and walked. It was indeed a holy pilgrimage cum guided-study trip.
AVDAT, EN AVDAT & MAKTESH RAMON
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCURSION TO NIZZANE AND SHIVTA Jerusalem, 11 December 2014 Reported by: Romero D' Souza SDB
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he staff and students of STS had an Archaeological Excursion to the places Nizzane and Shivta. Nissane is an ancient Nabataean city located in the southwest of the Negev desert in Israel close to the Egyptian border. This city was conquered by the Romans in the second century, later captured by Byzantines in the late fourth century until the invasion of the Muslim conquest till the seventh century. The present state is covered with the remains of the constructions done in the early 20th century. One of the interesting point to be considered is that the Church and the Mosque were located adjacent to each other. Shivta is located 340 meters above sea level in the northwest slopes of HarHanegev [the Negev Heights]. It was during the 3rd - 4th Centuries AD the Nabateans had converted into Christianity and built big churches in all of their cities. Shivta is a Nabatean city in the north of the Negev and it is one of the most impressive archaeological
INDUCTION PROGRAMME FOR NEW STUDENTS 2014-2015 Jerusalem, 12 September 2014 Reported by: Christopher Lourduswamy
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he new academic year at Studium Theologicum Salesianum in Jerusalem commenced with an induction programme for the new students. Most of the new students were present for the three days induction programme. The first day of the induction concentrated on introducing the students to their new weltanschauung of 22| December 2014
sites. We spend hours there studying, reading gospel passages and reflecting on life, then. Among the many remnants of the city a few important places to be singled out and listed from our archaeological trip were: the Southern Church, two large Pools, a baptistery, the Governor's House, the decorated lintel, the entrance to the Western Street, the Wine Press, the Shivta Houses, the Northern Church, the central part of the church, the Atrium, the Column in the central space of the atrium, and the agricultural land along with its drainage system.
Jerusalem and the Campus of the Salesian Pontifical University in Jerusalem. The first two sessions of the morning were taken by Dr. Marcie Lenk, Director of Christian Leadership Programmes of the Shalom Hartman Institute and Co-Director of New Paths: Christians Engaging Israel. She has a PhD from Harvard University in USA and is currently a teaching staff at the Studium Theologicum Salesianum. Dr. Marcie, herself a Jew, presented the Jewish Culture, traditions and faith. She explained the liturgical year and also the Jewish
calendar where she stressed the different feasts that occur during the year, with special focus on the feasts in September.
The second part of the induction was taken by the Principal Rev. Fr. Biju Michael and the Registrar Sr. Mary Colman Pyle. The Principal began his session by quoting Don Bosco "For you I study, for you I work.." and beautifully showed how the days Don Bosco spend in the study of Theology influenced him and formed his personality and how most of the things he did in his Priestly ministry were clearly things he learned from the days of study. He explained the spirituality of study in the Studium Theologicum Salesianum by stressing the three aspects of discipline, hard work and grace. After the motivational talks, the Principal explained some of the institutional practices of the STS. Sr. Mary explained the process and requirement for the enrollment into the University. At 12 noon Fr. Giovanni Caputa, the librarian, briefed us on library Regulations and showed the different sections of the library. On the second day of induction the students visited the city of Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulcher under the guidance of the Professor of Archaeology, Fr. Joan Maria Vernet. The third day was dedicated to registration of the new students.
MASS IN THE HOLY TOMB Jerusalem, 17 September 2014 Reported by: Asmare Degeffe SDB
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n 17th September, the new students of the STS had the singular opportunity to begin their studies in the Holy Land with a Mass celebrated in the Holy Tomb from where Jesus rose from the dead. For every pilgrim visiting the Holy Land the opportunity to enter and pray at the Holy Tomb is of utmost importance. The students had the privilege of being inside for half an hour celebrating the Eucharist which is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ. It was an opportunity to pray for everyone who had asked for prayers, especially for their family members. Rev. Fr. Moses Wanjala celebrated the Mass with the Principal, Fr. Biju Michael concelebrating. After the Mass all went to join the opening ceremony for the new academic year.
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ASSEMBLY OF THE TEACHING STAFF Jerusalem, 16 September 2014 Reported by: Sr. Mary Colman Pyle
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he first Teaching Staff Meeting was held on 16th September 2014. In addition to the usual business at the beginning of the year, this year the first Assembly of the Teaching Staff was also an opportunity to welcome new faculty members. Highly qualified new faculty members, joined the already excellent quality of study here at the University. In this10th year in Jerusalem, the STS happily welcomed Frs. Andrew Wong, SDB, Karol Kulpa, SDB, Vincent Raj John Bosco, SDB, Matteo Balla, SDB, Samuel Obu, SDB, Moses Wanjala, SDB, and Kevin Mwandha, SDB to the teaching faculty. The experience and expertise these men bring with them and are so willing to share with the Salesian Pontifical University Faculty of Theology, Jerusalem Campus is expected to multiply the quality and quantity of services of the STS in the Holy Land.
A WALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Reported by: Jarosław Budny
Sometimes, when we start our experience of living in different places and cultures, we find ourselves shocked or surprised because of what we see. That is natural we need time to get used to something that seems to be strange and unusual, but at the end of the day it occurs to be just new and unknown. In order to understand and know the environment we live in as students of the STS in Jerusalem, we were presented with the opportunity of special induction classes. Dr Marcie Lenk, who is one of our professors, kindly agreed to be the leader of the new students on the journey through the culture, history and other important aspects of life in the Holy Land. For our last session, we were taken for a walk around our neighbourhood. It was very
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peculiar to see the things we pass by every day in different light. Firstly we went to the Yeshurun Central Synagogue, which is located just next to our campus. Dr. Lenk explained to us all the features of the synagogue and answered all the curious questions regarding prayer customs. Afterwards we passed by the House of the Prime Minister of Israel (which, turned out to be in our neighbourhood) situated between the
city center and part of Jerusalem called Talbiya. We also could see the residence of the President of Israel, which is located nearby.
The last place we visited was Shalom Hartman Institute, where Dr. Lenk works. The goal of this institute is to develop new and diverse voices within the Jewish tradition and to define the place of Jewish tradition in the
contemporary world. Dr. Lenk is the Director of the Christian Leadership Program, which aims to encourage Christians and Jews to learn more about each other. The most important place at the Institute is a round building called Beit Midrash, which is translated as The House of Study. Jews believe that studying the Torah is equal to prayer. Maybe this is why at first glance this building resembles a synagogue. We were also very lucky and privileged to see the Torah Scroll used by the community for daily readings. The Jewish culture is very rich, so it is difficult to comprehend all its aspects and symbols, but we can be sure that every effort to learn something about it enriches us as human beings and brings us closer to the people that are our neighbours. Paraphrasing what Dr. Lenk said: Both we, as Christians, and Jews must still learn a lot about each other.
MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT SAINT SAVIOUR CHURCH Jerusalem, 6 October, 2014. Reported by: Mathew Valiyakattel
The staff and students of Studium Theologicum Salesianum joined others, from various ecclesiastical institutes in Jerusalem, for the Mass of the Holy Spirit on 6 October, 2014 to mark the opening of the Franciscan academic year. The Holy Mass, held at Saint Saviour Church, was presided over by Rev. Dr. Pier Giorgio Gianazza the Vice Provincial of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Middle East Province.
The solemn liturgy and the enriching homily along with the beautiful singing, animated by Fr. Moses Wanjala, Manuel Hurtado and team from the STS, contributed in creating a prayerful and meaningful initiation to the academic year. The Holy Mass was followed by moments of fraternal gathering.
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PERSONAL REFLECTIONS “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards,” said by Soren Kierkegaard (a philosopher). Writing does reflect and mirrors one's thoughts and reflections and helps one to live and nurture it in fullness. There are a series of reflections which are thought-provoking and inspiring on varied themes and topics made by staff and students which are presented below.
RELIGIOUS LIFE Religious life is a call to prayer – deep abiding prayer. Even though at times when we pray, our souls are swayed by passions and our minds wander – meandering through different dreams, going astray, losing clarity of thoughts and expressions, take heart, for God is always with us. I have been afraid of hypocrisy, of being inauthentic – constantly being scrupulous about things, measuring and comparing myself to others. But with God the only
measurement is the inner life. Without it, nothing has much meaning. A priest told me once that there are three things to keep in mind as a Salesian: 1. To follow Christ – you can save some souls. 2. To imitate Christ – you can save more souls. And lastly, 3. To become Christ – you can save lives. Minh Dang SDB
ART OF CELEBRATING LITURGY If I had only one chance to choose what to celebrate, I would opt for a “celebration of the gift of life; a life in Christ” through “his Word and Sacraments, especially the Eucharist”. This is so because any celebration revolves around life. Celebration becomes a special event when we show acknowledgment for someone, with festivity and sentiments of respect and appreciation. Life being a gift freely given should always be a treasure to be welcomed, catered to, shared and celebrated well. Actually, for a fruitful realization of any celebration, preparations are essential, or else the celebration risks being only an external, superficial and plastic functionalism, that may not penetrate our inner faculties. Liturgy, being a public worship and a celebration of the mystery of Christ, invites us to celebrate fully, actively and consciously our new life through, with, in, Christ, with an importance given to the Eucharist as the action of Christ and God's People. Every liturgical celebration facilitates a divine-human encounter, which brings Christ closer to the worshipping community and the community closer to God. One important means to realize this encounter is to embrace the “art of celebrating Liturgy”. It means celebrating the liturgy in a manner that accords proper dignity by “developing a deep interior communion with Christ through listening 'with one's heart'” and conforming to Jesus' sacrificial-salvific act. We highlight some essential elements that constitute the art of celebrating Liturgy:
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a) Sacredness' of the Liturgical Action - Liturgy is a sacred action; not a social, political or cultural ceremony. Nurturing a sense of stupor before the Divine mysteries celebrated is necessary. A sense of faith, awe and reverence towards God, who is at the centre of the celebration, are indispensable requisites for any meaningful and fruitful liturgy. This calls for the need to desist temptations of viewing the celebration as mere intellectualism, social event and routine. b) Attitude of Interiority - As a sacred act, liturgy is primarily God's work. To deal with “divine things” interiority is necessary. This consists of the inner dispositions of prayerfulness and submission that are externally manifested in the celebration. These dispositions are important from the beginning till even after the celebration. Praying and doing things in haste, without clarity; passivity; disinterest; absentism; late coming; distractions; unnecessary chats; movements; unpreparedness; omitting gesture and rites, display the absence of genuine interiority. Undertaking the liturgical actions with attitudes of merely fulfilling an obligation or doing it 'for the sake of others' obscures the purpose of liturgy, which is to cement the personal relationship, reinforcing communion with others and with God. Do we “enjoy and live with Passion” our liturgy as a celebration, fully involved: mind, heart, body and soul; or do we “just do” the liturgy? Do we remain only on a sentimentalexternal level in our celebrations? Do we allow our hearts
to be penetrated by what we celebrate, Christ: our love, way, truth, life, our ALL? Fr. Moses Wanjala SDB
SALESIAN YOUTH SPIRITUALITY While we celebrate the Bicentenary of Don Bosco's birth, we have to remember the gift that the Holy Spirit has left to all of us through him. Many times we admire Don Bosco for his ability to work, to relate with the young, to think of new ways of helping those most in need. We think of him as our Father who was totally dedicated to the mission God had confided in him, but we neglect or forget that the most important element of his life is his sanctity. Don Bosco is a saint; this is how the Church has proclaimed him. Through him God has given his Church a special Charisma, which we know is Pastoral Charity. All of the spiritual experience of Don Bosco is shared with all youth through the Salesians' Youth Spirituality in a simple and profound way of communicating with God. The Salesian Youth Spirituality is composed of six elements; Spirituality of Ordinary Daily Life Spirituality of Joy and Optimism Spirituality of Friendship with the Lord Jesus Spirituality of Communion and Solidarity Spirituality of Responsible Service A Marian Spirituality It is also summarized as: Always, Happy, with Christ, in the Church, for the World, like Mary. Each element has its own profoundness which we must discover, but as a unity they form the itinerary that every Salesian must live and is a sure way of obtaining salvation for the young and for us. The Salesian Mission, which is to form good Christians and honorable citizens, looks in the long run to help everyone become a saint. As sanctity flourished in Valdocco, so will sanctity flourish in all of our local Churches and Community's by living in a complete sense these six elements. Javier Orengo SDB
DON BOSCO: AS MY MODEL For us Salesians, Don Bosco is not only the founder of our congregation, not only the man who wrote our Constitutions, and definitely he is not a historical character who lived years ago and has nothing to do with our own lives. First of all he is a father whose legacy I am privileged to be. I relate myself to him in
order to know what to do, in order to find the way of being closer to God. Most certainly, I can say that Don Bosco is my role model. He is the one who inspired the first Salesians to take on the charism he lived. These pioneer Salesians inspired the next generations, and this process continues. Because of this I am able to say that Don Bosco is the one who has inspired me as well. I learn the way of pastoral work reading his biography, I learn how to pray using the prayers he composed and most of all I learn how to love God and others because through him and his son Salesians, I have been shown what true love is. So, I want to be the bearer of that love to other people just as Don Bosco was. Jarek Budny SDB
THE CHURCH IN A CHANGING SOCIETY It is an undeniable fact that change is one of the realities man encounters during his/her existence. Heraclitus (540 BCE - 480 BCE) asserted that we cannot pass in the same river twice. This assertion is sound. In other words, the societies in which we are living are constantly changing. The Church finds herself in this, an unavoidable reality, the reality of change. Some people are waiting for the Church to change. But why and how should she change? What is the role of the Church in this changing Society? The role of the Church is to proclaim God's kingdom to the whole world and that salvation lies in the biblical vision of human beings through the refection of the example of Jesus. Jesus in his humble state came to seek, find and convert all those who lost the biblical vision of the human being; to bring them back to the intended vision of God. Thus, if the Church draws its true meaning from Christ Jesus, then she must do what Jesus would do today in this changing society. If the change is affecting the moral life of a person, then the Church must speak up against that change. Moreover, if the change is making the poor poorer, then the Church identifies herself with the poor. This is what the Church has been doing. We who are in the Church have the responsibility to open the eyes of others, to the change without losing the identity of the Church. We are bound to be in this changing reality, but we must keep before us the biblical vision of man in any changing society. Vernon Lushibashi SDB
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...I AM (chURch) because YOU ARE (chrISt) “In the liturgy of the New Covenant every liturgical action, especially the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments, is an encounter between Christ and His
Church. The liturgical assembly derives its unity from the “communion of the Holy Spirit” who gathers the children of God into the one Body of Christ. This assembly transcends racial, cultural, social – indeed, all human affinities (CCC 1097).” I would like to interpret 'This assembly' as 'the institute of STS', for though we are from different nationalities and countries, provinces and congregations, and from varied cultures, historicity, backgrounds, social and religious upbringing, we come together with the spirit to love and learn, to know and serve Jesus Christ. We do this in and through our intellectual formation especially that of our theological studies cum reflections. Through these interpersonalintrapersonal relationships we share and grow with the help of the teaching staff, the study groups created among brothers, using the well-equipped library and especially through personal study and reflection. It is indeed a
blessing and grace filled occasion to live and grow, to study and see, to pray and reflect at STS. Thus it is an encounter of Christ and His Church, for all of us. Romero D' Souza SDB
PERSON IN/ WITH MANY HEARTS The inner struggle is a quest to know, 'how to enter into the hearts of many people without possessing any prejudice based upon religion, language, culture, colour and country. These are the external visible character that influences one's identify with the other. As a result we see inequality, injustice, and immorality. To face these challenges, one creates many hearts within oneself to treat everyone according to the colour; culture, and country etc., therefore one heart becomes many hearts. Heart is a symbol of love. 'Love' is the culmination of everyone's life. 'Love' enriches, enlightens one's way of life when it is shared with the others, irrespective of any differences. Heart has to be considered as a home, to live as one family. There is no impartiality, in differences and injustice. In the same way, the universe is created in the form of a circle to emphasize the 'equality' that everyone stands on equal ground. Many a times our hearts tend to be indifferent towards others rather than to accept or to relate with them. In our thinking, there is an imaginary boundary which blocks us from entering into human relationship. Thus, the boundary has to be broken into pieces to enter into many hearts. The classical example could be the lives of Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, St. John Paul and many others. These prominent figures broke down the imaginary boundary and showed the way for the possibility of entering into many hearts. May God help us live as persons with many hearts. James Raj SDB
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THE ONLY ORIGINAL TECHNOLOGIST Man and woman God created in His image and likeness Identity and dignity from Him received we need to witness, In harmonious paradise, man enjoyed with the Perfect Ecologist Naming animals and birds makes man sharer of the Original Taxonomist. Finding so suitable a partner, God cast man into a deep sleep The Original Surgeon, opened and closed man's rib, Hurrah, bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh at last Like the two DNA strands, complementarity is now their task. The two become one body to form a family A community of love, God's plan from all eternity, The unity that cannot be manipulated by any technology Lest we end up in the ecological niche shamefully. Oh Original Unity, the only Original Technologist You have always something new to offer us a list, Albeit through disobedience we turn our back Your Grace an ever new technology is your only feedback. Arcadius Puwein SDB
PAST PUPILS' CORNER 2014-2015 marks 10 years since the Studium Theologicum Salesianum shifted its campus to Jerusalem. To mark this occasion, we are happy to report in our Newsletter the activities of some of our Past Pupils. I am Fr. Jesudoss Arokiam sdb, past pupil of Studium Theologicum Salesianum. I did my theological studies from 2006-2010. Now I'm already in my fifth year of priesthood. I Studied Arabic in Egypt for two years and attended the courses on Islamic studies. Of course my book knowledge took a bit of time to apply in my mission work. With lots of hope and trust in God, I dedicate myself to the young people of this Holy Land to participate in their joys and sorrows and to teach them some values in the path of Don Bosco our Father and Founder. I was appointed as Director of the Youth Centre – Bethlehem in 2012. This year 2014, I was also given the responsibility of being the Financial Administrator of the house of Bethlehem.
Don Bosco Youth Center in Bethlehem is one of the oldest leading youth centers and distinguishes itself in its mode of educating the young and fostering them in the right way. Don Bosco Youth Centre (DBYC) has always kept its youthful and popular characteristic, with an ecumenical guideline (interconfessional) and in these latest decades even interreligious (Muslim presence). It was always clearly considered in town as a centre of
Activities
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education for teenagers and young people, owing to the numerous and various activities, among which we mention the Sports teams and the Scout Groups. Various activities are held at the Oratory every day (sports, recreational, cultural, artistic, social and religious). During the summer season, it increases its activities. There are around 150 boys and 35 girls frequenting the center during the week in different timings (age group between 8 year and above: small, young, and adult). Each group has its own timings and program. Among the young people who frequent our Don Bosco youth center in Bethlehem are Christians (82%) and Muslims (18%). By applying the preventive system of Don Bosco, we help them to become “Good Christians and Honest Citizens� using the means of activities of the center: conference on human values and rights and duties, fraternal activities in groups for the smaller ones and a socializing meeting for the Muslim boys and girls and above all animated Games according to age groups.
Fr. Iosif Ilies, sdb was a student of the Studium Theologicum Salesianum (20082012) and was ordained priest in 2012. He now works in the Salesian Youth Centre in Bacau, Romania. Activities The Salesian house of Bacau is a relatively young home. Fifteen years old, it gives much hope. The Salesian community made up of four confreres is committed to carry on various activities spreading in this way the charism of Don Bosco. The work began as an oratory with all proposals typical of such a place: formation groups for all the ages: sports, recreation activities, cultural activities. In the course of time, we understood better the poverty and emergencies of young people and so we have put in place initiatives that respond to these needs. The first was the Afterschool. Many boys in the afternoon risk losing
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time at the computer or TV without doing their homework. This activity is seven years old and it is showing good results. For young people who enter the world of work we opened courses in hydraulics and electricity. After six months of training, they have skills that can help them find a job more easily. For those who feel that the Lord is calling them to another lifestyle we have vocational groups. Taking a journey of discernment, accompanied by the community, they seek to understand what the Lord has prepared for them. But we do not only work within our compound. In the land around us there are parishes asking us for help for pastoral work with youth. Summer is the time in which we are involved in training young people in their work with the younger children in their parishes. Lately this has also led to the formation of a group of priests for prayer and formation. They are mostly young priests who feel the need to meet and form themselves in pastoral work.
These are some of the activities that the house of Bacau continues. I do not close without mentioning the experience lived in Jerusalem. Two things in particular help me in my work with young people. The first is the love for the Bible. The Bible is alive and God's love for us is felt much more when you walk on holy sites. A second aspect was the increase in the capacity to accommodate someone who is different from me. To live in a world where many worlds meet helped me to be more tolerant and to seize the wealth that one who is not similar to me may have.
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WELCOME TO NEW TEACHERS
BALLA Matteo, SDB Financial Administrator & Italian Language
MWANDHA Kevin, SDB Canon Law
JOHN BOSCO Vincent Raj, SDB Methodology
OBU Samuel, SDB Systematic Theology
KULPA Karol, SDB Sacred Scripture & Biblical Greek
THEUNIS Guy, M. Afr Pastoral Studies
WANJALA Moses, SDB Liturgy
WONG Andrew, SDB Salesian Studies
EDITORIAL TEAM Emmanuel George Phiri Arcadius Puwein Romero D'Souza Mary Colman Pyle
Salesian Monastery Ratisbonne, 26 Shmuel Hanagid Str., P.O. Box 7336, 9107202 Jerusalem, ISRAEL
www.jerusalem.unisal.it