St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church CARLISLE, IOWA CHRISTMAS 2017
Hope for peace on earth By Fr. James Kirby Oh, how we wish that at Christmas time, the familiar, mirthfilled glow that we have come to expect, would permeate not just our hearts, but also resonate in every part of the world. We have come to learn that this Christmas feeling is fleeting, and we don’t always do as well as we could to create it for those around us. If we are brave enough to look around, we learn the Christmas spirit is lacking and totally absent in the more troubled and violent parts of the world — even in the city of Christ’s birth. At Christmastime we often take great care to put out our family nativities and gaze sentimentally at the scene of the newborn Christ amidst the beloved characters of the manger scene. We think of a tranquil, peaceful place and often muse about going there someday to celebrate Christmas at the exact place where it all happened, in Bethlehem. We might imagine going to the Church of the Nativity as a pilgrim. And that it would be a profound spiritual experience to be shared with pilgrims from around the world. We might imagine a moving and peaceful experience in the City of David, at the site of our Savior’s birth.
the day and the mood of the Israeli army, this can be an easy ten-minute process or it can take hours. During the delays, tensions rise and things can sometimes escalate. From a distance, it is easy to make judgements about the ongoing conflict in this land. When trying to understand the conflicts , we must know who tells the story to the world. The winner of the war usually gets the microphone, but it doesn’t mean what is said is always accurate. During my time at Tantur, I have come to know friends from all three of the monotheistic religions populating the land Muslim, Jewish and Christian. I have come to have a soft spot in my heart for the Palestinians. They, like many other groups have a small percentage of people who cause the violence that makes the rest look bad. The Palestinian Christians and Muslims that I know are some of the kindest, most generous and loving people I know. I have also come to understand their frustration, despair and fear.
However, there is irony with our nativities and the reality of life in Bethlehem, today. The song that the angels proclaimed 2000 years ago in this same land, “Peace on Earth, goodwill toward man” remains a distant hope in that area today.
Walking through Bethlehem toward the Church of the Nativity, I often choose to go down Manger Street and pass the Paradise Hotel. The Paradise was once a noble center of business, activity and a popular place for tourists.
Last month, I went to the Church of the Nativity to take new photos of the activity there around Christmas time, for a project I was working on for Tantur. Anyone who has gone through the checkpoint and security to get into Bethlehem knows that this is often a tense and anxious experience. The luckiest Palestinians, those who are allowed to work in Jerusalem, endure this experience twice a day. Depending on the mood of
A few doors down from the Paradise Hotel is Majdi’s, a small storefront souvenir shop. Majdi always greets me with a warm hug. He seems to remember anyone who has ever come into his store. I first met Majdi in 2011 when I stopped by his store, at the insistence of friends from Tantur. Majdi is somewhat of a celebrity, at least at Tantur and in this part of Bethlehem. Continued on page 3
A year in the life of our parish family
Peace on earth Continued from page 1
Majdi, a Palestinian Muslim, has spent his entire fifty-some years here. He is married and is very proud of his sons, who attend Bethlehem University. During the First Intifada, Majdi saved several American college students studying there during the May term. Majdi, found them in the street as the military and residents clashed, and hid them in his store. The professor in charge of the group, was so touched that he wrote an article entitled “Touched by an Angel,” a copy of which Majdi proudly displays. This is only one example of how Majdi has been an angel to many throughout Bethlehem. Majdi never forgets a name, and as soon as I walk in the door, Majdi exclaims, “Mr. James! How are you? Sit, sit sit, Majdi will make you some coffee.” He sometimes refers to himself in the third person. As we talk he remembers when he took me and another Bethlehem student, to Hebron to see the Masque/ Synagogue that was the site of a horrible mass shooting of Muslims as they prostrated in prayer. Hebron is a very intense place and often a flashpoint for protest and violence between the settlers and Palestinians. Majdi could only walk in certain places around the mosque as the Israeli military vigilantly monitors the area. That day, a CNN news crew went a little too far into a forbidden area only to be roughly removed by the Israeli soldiers. We got back in Majdi’s car as the soldiers eyeballed us until we were out of sight. Back at Majdi’s shop, we laughed and joked as we sipped our coffee. Majdi in his own subtle way described the occupation and the sadness, frustration and fear in which the Palestinians live. He talked about his attempts to be the peacemaker in this area.
Bethlehem should be the place we all imagine it to be.
It felt odd to be talking so happily amid such a depressed and too often violent area. It is easy to fall into despair in this city that is supposed to represent peace, joy and hope. While there is certainly enough oppression and blame to go around, people like Majdi and indeed, most, if not all the Palestinians and Bethlehem University students I’ve met, give me hope. For many, the city of Christ’s birth is not the merry, peaceful place that most imagine and proves to be a contradiction to those who make the effort to learn about the city and land. Perhaps this Christmas we could pray for peace in Bethlehem, peace among the Jews, the Palestinians, the Christians of this city and peace to the angels of the city, like Majdi. Bethlehem should be the place we all imagine it to be. It will take understanding, listening, forgiving and compromising among all to make that dream come true. The night of Jesus’ birth, the angels sang not far from the sites of the Bethlehem checkpoint, the Paradise Hotel and Majdi’s shop. May their song of “peace on earth and good will to all” come true for the city of Christ’s birth and the entire world.
Building for our future If you are new to our parish family or are visiting, you may be wondering about the All In: Give to Grow capital campaign. St. Elizabeth Seton parish is actively working to raise funds for a church expansion project. The anticipated cost for Phase 1 (building and furnishing the new parish hall) is approximately $2.3 million. We have over $800,000 pledged so far. Here’s some information about the great need and the benefits we anticipate. We need the support of the entire parish to make it a reality. Our need is great. We need to be able to accommodate functions such as weddings, funerals, graduations, and parish sponsored dinners that serve up to 300 people. Our kitchen facility is not adequate today. It was designed to comfortably accommodate functions for about 50 people. We need permanent Faith Formation classrooms and adequate offices. The portable classrooms were designed to be temporary. They cannot accommodate any new or improved technologies, they lack bathroom facilities, and are not spacious enough for our increasing class sizes. Our worship space is too small for our growing congregation. The use of the overflow area for regular mass seating causes problems when the area is needed after mass for other functions without the reassembling of tables and chairs. Restroom handicap accessibility and increased parking is needed. Our current restrooms need to be updated and improved to assist the needs of those with handicaps. Lack of space causes issues with parking availability and visibility hazards endangering the safety of pedestrians.
A new parish hall will deliver many benefits for our parish. Here are a few of those benefits. Generate additional revenue. As one of the larger venues available, Carlisle and surrounding communities will utilize it for events such as wedding, anniversary, and graduation receptions, community functions, providing meals to homeless shelters, etc., allowing us to rent our hall and fill a need of our community. Open new and exciting doors for our parish. We will have the opportunity to host events such as retreats, inspirational/ motivational speakers, and town hall gatherings for political events just to name a few. Invigorate and enliven our parish community. Success in any form breathes new life and our capital campaign success will not only satisfy the immediate needs of our facility, it will give us room for growth so that we can adequately celebrate together, form deeper, more faith-filled and long-lasting relationships in our community. This expansion is for us and our parish family deserves it. We have gone too long operating in limited facilities. If our parish is to maintain a strong and vibrant Catholic presence in this area, we must be willing to sacrifice and evolve to suit the needs of our faith community.
Lack of upgrading signals eroding support for our parish. Failing to upgrade will have major implications on the role and presence of our Catholic Community in this area.
Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas!
Christmas Prayer Jesus, the light of the world, as we celebrate your birth, may we begin to see the world in the light of the understanding you give us. As you choose the lowly, the outcasts and the poor to receive the greatest news the world has ever known, so may we worship you in meekness of heart. May we also remember our brothers and sisters less fortunate than ourselves in this season of giving. Amen.
2566 N. Scotch Ridge Road Carlisle, Iowa 50047 515-989-0659
Source: acatholic.org