1st May 2010: Fifteen pupils chosen from each of the Custody’s schools, from Palestine and Israel, together with teachers, chaperones and their heads, met at the Bethlehem school, next to the grotto of the Nativity, on this first Saturday in May. It was a day of study to plan the future of our schools, taking as the starting point the observations presented by the pupils. Last year, the teachers were invited to the conference, this year the pupils were the protagonists. A T-shirt with the logo of the meeting and with the words in Arabic I in the future of the Holy Land schools – conference of the pupils of the Holy Land schools 2010, distributed to everyone, eliminated every separation and distinction. They all felt equal, all belonging to the schools of the friars of the Holy Land, this large Franciscan family and its ideal, although coming from different cities in the Holy Land, although of different religions (a good percentage of our pupils are Muslims) or belonging to the different Christian churches.
They were warmly received by Fr. Marwan Di’des, Head of the boys’ school in Bethlehem, then by the words of Fr. Abdel Masih Fahim, in charge of the Holy Land Schools Department, and above all by those of the Very Reverend Custos Father, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa who highlighted the need – very important for the friars – to be present in the territory of education,, where the society of the future is forged. A social worker, Mrs. Minerva Jaraiseh, presented the result of the questionnaire which, sent earlier to all the schools, had been filled in by the pupils. She then explained the programme of the day of the conference.
The pupils from the different schools, in many groups, with the help of a moderator, had the chance to express in complete freedom their hopes on the future of the Holy Land schools. Lunch at the Casa Nova in Bethlehem made them feel that they were really important for the friars and that they were treated with the same loving attention as the pilgrims who come to the holy places. Fr. Severin Lubecki, the Polish friar in charge of the Casa Nova, explained to them that the international nature of the friars is a great richness for the Custody and that the spirit of service breaks down every nationalistic frontier. He also explained how all the friars, in various ways and with different positions, all work for the good of this blessed land and its people, united in the same ideal of life.
After lunch, meeting again, an analysis of the results of the group works by the pupils was presented: these points will be taken into consideration by the heads of the Holy Land schools and be implemented as soon as possible. A successful theatrical performance showing the difficult situation of the Palestinians brought the day to a close.
Heads, teachers and pupils, we all felt united in the path shown by the star of Bethlehem, as shown on the logo printed on the T-shirts. Our future is the commitment to follow this star on the horizon of our life, a star of love, equality and a guide for every man who wants to live in the presence of God in the service and in charity towards his neighbour, the image of God. Moreover, this is what our friars have always done in the past as well.
We left Bethlehem with our hearts full of joy, under the benevolent gaze of Father Paolo Mastrangeli, whose oil portrait hangs in front of the head’s office in the school: for 35 years he was at the head of this school, educating generations of young people whilst in the meantime he served the pastoral of the population of Bethlehem.
May the Lord protect and encourage all to continue to work in this very fundamental field of education, a privileged place of formation for the future leaders of society in the Holy Land.
Fr. Arturo Vasaturo ofm
Head of the Holy Land Secondary School, Jaffa
They were warmly received by Fr. Marwan Di’des, Head of the boys’ school in Bethlehem, then by the words of Fr. Abdel Masih Fahim, in charge of the Holy Land Schools Department, and above all by those of the Very Reverend Custos Father, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa who highlighted the need – very important for the friars – to be present in the territory of education,, where the society of the future is forged. A social worker, Mrs. Minerva Jaraiseh, presented the result of the questionnaire which, sent earlier to all the schools, had been filled in by the pupils. She then explained the programme of the day of the conference.
The pupils from the different schools, in many groups, with the help of a moderator, had the chance to express in complete freedom their hopes on the future of the Holy Land schools. Lunch at the Casa Nova in Bethlehem made them feel that they were really important for the friars and that they were treated with the same loving attention as the pilgrims who come to the holy places. Fr. Severin Lubecki, the Polish friar in charge of the Casa Nova, explained to them that the international nature of the friars is a great richness for the Custody and that the spirit of service breaks down every nationalistic frontier. He also explained how all the friars, in various ways and with different positions, all work for the good of this blessed land and its people, united in the same ideal of life.
After lunch, meeting again, an analysis of the results of the group works by the pupils was presented: these points will be taken into consideration by the heads of the Holy Land schools and be implemented as soon as possible. A successful theatrical performance showing the difficult situation of the Palestinians brought the day to a close.
Heads, teachers and pupils, we all felt united in the path shown by the star of Bethlehem, as shown on the logo printed on the T-shirts. Our future is the commitment to follow this star on the horizon of our life, a star of love, equality and a guide for every man who wants to live in the presence of God in the service and in charity towards his neighbour, the image of God. Moreover, this is what our friars have always done in the past as well.
We left Bethlehem with our hearts full of joy, under the benevolent gaze of Father Paolo Mastrangeli, whose oil portrait hangs in front of the head’s office in the school: for 35 years he was at the head of this school, educating generations of young people whilst in the meantime he served the pastoral of the population of Bethlehem.
May the Lord protect and encourage all to continue to work in this very fundamental field of education, a privileged place of formation for the future leaders of society in the Holy Land.
Fr. Arturo Vasaturo ofm
Head of the Holy Land Secondary School, Jaffa