Jerusalem diocese to install new bishop
Episcopal News Service. March 28, 2007 [032807-01]
Pat McCaughan, Associate rector at St. Mary's, Laguna Beach and senior correspondent for Episcopal News Service
Among the gifts for new ministry Bishop Jon Bruno of Los Angeles will present at the April 15 consecration of Bishop Suheil Dawani of Jerusalem will be a "Lights of Hope" contribution to support diocesan medical ministries.
"I'll carry $16,000 in contributions raised by the people of Los Angeles to support the hospitals and clinics which serve all people -- Christians, Muslims and Jews -- and are part of the many other wonderful ministries of the Diocese of Jerusalem, our companion diocese," Bruno said.
Through "Lights of Hope," volunteers distributed Anglican rosaries and incorporated prayers for the peace of Jerusalem into an Advent cycle of prayer in the Los Angeles diocese to create awareness of the plight of Palestinian Christians "who are being forced out of the Holy Land," Bruno said.
"Less than 2 percent of the population is Christian," said Bruno. "Enough is enough. It's time to tear down the separation wall, both physically and spiritually so Palestinians and Israelis can live in peaceful coexistence and relationship with one another. There's an apartheid going on, and we are here to do justice and mercy and engage mission with both Israel and Palestine at the same time."
"There has been a sharp decline in the indigenous Christian population" in the Holy Land, Bishop Dawani said during a January visit to Los Angeles. "There is the full possibility of extinction of the native Christian population in the course of the next decade in the towns and villages of the West Bank."
Job opportunities, education and security are needed to keep Palestinian Christians, especially young people, in their homeland. Those things will only come with a viable peace between the Holy Land's Arab and Jewish populations, he said.
Although as Arabs they face some of the same challenges as the rest of the non-Jewish population, Palestinian Christians -- including some 5,000 Episcopalians -- take an active part in the society, especially in providing "crucial education and health services without discrimination," he said.
The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem extends over five countries, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Israel, within the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. It supports 31 parishes and 35 institutions including hospitals, clinics, kindergartens and schools, vocational training programs, as well as institutions for the deaf, the disabled and the elderly.
The diocese is part of the wider Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, one of the Anglican Communion's 38 provinces. Bishop Mouneer Hanna Anis of Egypt is president bishop of the province, and in Jerusalem, Dawani will succeed Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal as diocesan bishop.
The Los Angeles and Jerusalem dioceses have been united in a companion relationship since July 2005. It grew out of a sister relationship between Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel, California, and St. Paul's Church in Shefa Amr, in northern Israel, according to Sue and Sandy Smock, members of both the diocesan Middle East Task Force and the San Gabriel parish.
"One visit to the Holy Land changed my life forever," recalled Sandy Smock, whose passion has become the Holy Land. "You can't know the real story about what's going on there unless you see it for yourself."
"The real lights of hope are the heroic, courageous people bearing witness on our behalf in the Holy Land," Sandy Smock said. "The Christian community's presence, their ministries are a beacon -- through hospitals, schools, they speak wonderfully about what Jesus Christ told us to do. Their outreach takes care of all of God's people. They need money but even more than money they need our witness."
Consequently, he has made six pilgrimages in the past three years and plans to return again this August. Other Los Angeles-area congregations are also making pilgrimages and several projects are developing. A joint diocesan and Church of Our Saviour project includes purchase of land for construction of a preschool at St. Paul's, Shefa Amr.
Additionally, plans are in the works for construction of a 40-unit housing complex and a program to encourage and support indigenous priests, Bruno said.
The Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek, director of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem, a peace and justice center in Jerusalem and Nazareth, said such increased awareness is a key blessing of companion relationships, because "Americans can see for themselves and discover what's really happening in the Holy Land."
He hopes more dioceses will consider companioning with the Jerusalem diocese because such relationships ultimately contribute to peacemaking, justice and strengthen Christian witness. "Once people are aware of the injustice going on there, hopefully they will do whatever they can locally in their own communities through people of power here and politicians to work on peace with justice for Palestinians there," he said.
Bruno's "Lights of Hope" and other programs hopes to create that awareness, especially to convey to Palestinian Christians "that they are not alone. They have brothers and sisters in other parts of world who care for them and pray for them and support them."
Dawani said solving the problems of the Holy Land will take international and interfaith cooperation and added: "We would like to welcome you in Jerusalem."