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 News of the Institute and Lasallian Family
Rome, March 6, 2007 |
 BETHLEHEM - PALESTINE - PILOT PROGRAM IN INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AT BETHLEHEM UNIVERSITY: On 27 and 28 December 2006 nine Bethlehem University students, 6 Muslim and 3 Christian, participated in a program of inter-religious dialogue organized by Dr. Inge Tiemann, Guest Lecturer from the German Association for Development Cooperation and Brother Peter Iorlano, Coordinator of Institutional Values. The program was conducted here in Bethlehem at Mary’s House, the convent of the Sisters of St. Bridgette.
The warm hospitality of the Bridgettine Sisters set the tone for our program.
The program consisted of: several fun and thought-provoking ice-breakers to help students get to know a little about each other; small and full group discussions about such topics as encouraging and difficult experiences they may have had with people from religions other than their own, what is means to them to be a Christian or a Muslim, what they have in common and what makes them different, and their favorite verses from their respective holy books.
Clearly this was a learning experience for all involved. We recognized the diversity of understanding and expression in each religion, i.e. not every person who calls him or herself Christian or Muslim gives the same emphasis on the same religious items like others in their religion may do.
We discovered that while we don’t see things exactly the same way, there are common values and beliefs in the two religions, e.g. the One God who is compassionate and just, the reverence given to Jesus and the esteem for his mother, Mary. We became more aware of how talking about our religions in the face of the other touches deeply on our identity and can be very sensitive; that our religious expression can be more cultural then spiritual. By the end, each participant recognized misconceptions they have about the other religion and their need to learn more about their own and the other religion in order to have serious and intelligent conversation.
The students and facilitators agreed that there is need for further conversation and that follow-up experiences that would include more participants would be helpful. Each one made a commitment to personally engage others in inter-religious conversation and to help organize a follow-up to this experience.
 (Samer Hanania – PR-Development officers)
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 ESOPUS – UNITED-STATES - LASALLIAN VOLUNTEERS ENJOY MID-YEAR GATHERING: On Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the Lasallian Volunteers gathered together in Esopus NY for their mid-year retreat. The location of this Marist retreat house was great and the spirit of the place was very welcoming. There was plenty of room to reflect and play; to sleep, eat and pray. The hosts were quite gracious, preparing homemade meals during the three days.
The main focus of the weekend centered on the sharing of experiences from the first half of the school year. It was a time to enjoy the company of one another, to share prayer, and to hold discussions on various topics throughout the weekend. The schedule was well-balanced in that it allowed the Volunteers a significant amount of free time to help rejuvenate themselves for the rest of the year. Some caught up on sleep; some did added discerning about the future; and all enjoyed the socializing and fun time together.
Keeping in mind that half of the year had already flown by, room was also made in the schedule to discuss plans for next year.
These groups included returning as a Volunteer and applying to graduate school. Many Volunteers had not yet made up their minds for next year, but the LV staff showed great support in helping the Volunteers sort through their options.
We are grateful to Adriana Rodriguez (Volunteer at Martin de Porres School) for her review of the weekend. She has ended her reflection by saying, "Overall, it was a wonderful weekend that came and went too quickly. We were able to get our business taken care of, received vital information, shared funny stories, exchanged classroom strategies, and still had plenty of time to enjoy the company of one another. In my opinion, it was exactly what a LV midyear retreat was meant to be."
(News - www.cbline.org)
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