June 2013 Newsletter The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Peace to you in the name of the Lord Greetings from Bishop Suheil Dawani Dear Friends, Greetings and Peace in the Name of our Risen and Ascended Lord Jesus Christ! June has been a very busy and truly productive month! God’s grace has been abundant! It is always with genuine anticipation that I attend the graduation ceremonies of our Anglican schools as I am encouraged by the extraordinary dedication of the teaching staff and the brilliance of the students. Our work to sustain the Diocese’s important ministry of education is made all the more worthwhile when seeing young people, many of whom are Muslim youth, graduating from our schools ready to fulfill their dreams and make a positive contribution to their community and the wider world. With my daughter, LuBa, graduating from Bir Zeit University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, this year’s round of graduation ceremonies had a special touch as Shafeeqa and I, with hundreds of other proud parents, shared this important milestone with our daughter. Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem www.j-diocese.org [email protected] Editor: The Rt Revd Bishop Suheil S.Dawani Page 1 The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Newsletter The visit by His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, his wife, Caroline, and their son, Peter, to the Holy Land near the end of June was a truly historic occasion. The Archbishop’s clear and affirming message of support for the sustainment and growth of the indigenous Christian presence in the Land of the Holy One raised our hope and increased our confidence that Christians here in the cradle of Christianity’s birth are important to the whole of the Anglican Communion and indeed the Church Universal. This month’s activities included many meetings with various partners who are working with me to achieve financial self-sufficiency for the Diocese of Jerusalem. Ongoing discussions regarding two income generating projects, the St. George Development Project and the Queen Helena Project, as well as dear friends who are participating with me in a feasibility study to determine the possibility of conducting a financial campaign, were all very encouraging. It is my prayer that God will continue to bless these efforts and allow the Diocese to develop sufficient and stable funding resources to allow the ministries of healthcare and education to flourish throughout the five countries that make up the Diocese of Jerusalem. I am grateful to everyone joining me in various and important initiatives to establish the financial self-sufficiency and sustainability of our Diocese and its institutions. May God grant each of you and your families his blessing and peace. Peace, Salaam + Suheil Dawani Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem www.j-diocese.org Contact us at: [email protected] Page 2 Editor: The Rt Revd Suheil S. Dawani The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Newsletter Arab Evangelical Episcopal School Graduation in Ramallah nder the patronage of His Grace Bishop Suheil Dawani, the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School in Ramallah U celebrated the graduation of its 20th class of high school students, Saturday, June 1st 2013. The ceremony was held at the Ramallah Cultural Palace in the presence of a large gathering of students’ relatives and their friends. In attendance were Bishop Suheil Dawani, the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, Pastor of St. Andrew’s Church the Rev’d Hanna Dalleh, Mayor of Ramallah Municipality Mousa Haddid, Headmaster Iyad Rafidi, Director of the Technological & Vocational Training Center Giovanni Anbar, and a number of clergy and representatives of civil authorities in the city. The ceremony began with the entry procession of graduates, followed by the Palestinian National Anthem. Rev’d Hanna Dalleh welcomed everyone and offered a spiritual reflection. A speech was delivered by Headmaster Iyad Rafidi in which he welcomed Bishop Suheil, the guests and the assembled. He spoke about the achievements and progress of the school year after year thanks to the faculty and the support given by Bishop Suheil. Mr. Rafidi pointed out that the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School is considered one of the best schools in Palestine for its academic and extracurricular activities. He urged graduates to pursue scientific careers, and wished them success in their professional and personal life. Director of the Technological & Vocational Training Center Giovanni Anbar spoke about the success achieved by the school in the field of vocational training, noting that it attracted a large number of students. A speech was delivered by His Grace Bishop Suheil in which he congratulated the graduates, their families, the school administration, and its faculty, and wished them success in the journey of their lives after school. He pointed out that the ceremony is an annual tradition and an opportunity to cherish the achievements of the school at all levels. In his speech, Bishop Dawani stressed on what he described as the ‘Education for Love,’ where the loving environment can produce a community aware of the needs of its individuals and supportive of their attitudes and choices. At the end of the ceremony, Bishop Suheil, the Headmaster, and guests of honor presented certificates and awards to the graduates. The ceremony also included art performances by the school choir. Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem www.j-diocese.org Contact us at: [email protected] Page 3 Editor: The Rt Revd Suheil S. Dawani The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Newsletter Inauguration of a New Burn Treatment Unit at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza Bishop Suheil Dawani, with representatives of the Qatar Red Crescent Society, inaugurated the ‘Burn Treatment Unit’ at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, 04th June 2013. The Qatari government, represented by the Qatar Red Crescent Society, has thankfully donated the costs of the establishment of this Unit. Princess Basma High School Graduation in Jerusalem nder the patronage of His Grace Bishop Suheil Dawani, Princess Basma High School in Jerusalem celebrated U the graduation of its fourth class of high school students on Friday evening, June 7th, 2013. The ceremony was attended by the Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, ‘Adnan Al-Huseini, Princess Basma Board Members, and a large crowd of local residents and dignitaries. His Grace Bishop Suheil delivered a speech in which he spoke about the distinguished and ongoing services provided by Princess Basma Centre for Disabled Children and its School in the service of our people. Another speech was delivered by Mr. Ibrahim Faltas, Director of Princess Basma Centre for Disabled Children, in which he stressed the magnificent and distinguished efforts undertaken by the Centre and the School in serving the special needs segment. Princess Basma Centre has always been characterized by as a leading institution in this area of service. Headmaster Ali Wasim also delivered a speech in which he thanked His Grace Bishop Suheil for his diligent interest in Princess Basma Centre and its School. He urged the graduates to follow the same path that they have learned in school while facing life difficulties and successes. Another speech was delivered by the Head of the Student Affairs Committee, Mr. Nidal Abu Jum’a, in which he thanked the Centre’s Administration and School for their enormous efforts in the service of students and their parents. Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem www.j-diocese.org Contact us at: [email protected] Page 4 Editor: The Rt Revd Suheil S. Dawani The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Newsletter At the end of the ceremony, His Grace Bishop Suheil along with his wife Shafeeqa, Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, the Director of Princess Basma Centre, and the School Headmaster distributed certificates to the graduates, wishing them success in their future life. Episcopal Church High School Graduation Ceremony in Nazareth nder the patronage of His Grace Bishop Suheil Dawani, the Episcopal Church High School (Christ School) in U Nazareth celebrated the graduation of the 17th class of its high school students on Saturday evening, June 8th, 2013. Ninety Six students graduated in the class of 2012 - 2013. The ceremony was held at the Golden Crown Hotel in Nazareth. Among the attendance were the Bishop’s Property Management Assistant, Amin Abu Hanna, High School Headmistress Manal Shoufani, the school faculty, the school administration, the Rev’d Imad Deibes, along with the Acting Mayor, Ali Salam, the Head of the Student Affairs Committee, the families of graduate students, and many friends and members of the local community. The ceremony was opened by Mr. Bassam Safouri, who welcomed His Grace Bishop Suheil and the attendees. A number of speeches were delivered during the ceremony, most notably by His Grace Bishop Suheil Dawani, who said: “Our school aspires in the right path. We are proud of our graduates and we consider them an honorable educational message. I wish them progress and success in their life after high school. We are proud of Nazareth and its history. Our students are messages of love and peace. We wish them every success in the future.” Another speech was delivered by Headmistress Manal Shoufani, followed by the Acting Mayor, Ali Salam, and Head of the Student Affairs Committee. Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem www.j-diocese.org Contact us at: [email protected] Page 5 Editor: The Rt Revd Suheil S. Dawani The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Newsletter The graduation ceremony began with a prayer by the Rev’d Imad Deibes on this special occasion. The ceremony also included some entertainment shows. A song by Doa’a Abu Ahmad, accompanied by a slide show of the graduate students narrating the most wonderful moments they spent together, prepared by Larin Abu Ahmad and her fellow students.