by Brother Milad Yacoub, A.A.
(Many Christians, in Europe or elsewhere, are often confused about the Middle East. So it is that many believe that if a person is an Arab, he must also be Muslim by religion, or vice versa, that if someone is Muslim, he must be an Arab. Br. Milad, an Assumptionist of Egyptian background, helps us to see things more clearly.)

Is it possible to be both a Christian and an Arab? Yes. Many Christians throughout the world are surprised to hear this. And yet, there are millions of us Christians who read the Bible in Arabic. What’s more, we also address God as “Allah.”

In a recent article in AMERICA, Drew Christiansen, S.J., the editor in chief of America, reflects on the powerful spiritual encounter one experiences in visiting the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu in Jerusalem. This site is believed to be Caiaphas’ palace and where Jesus’ trial and Peter’s denial took place.

The current church is of special significance to the Assumptionists, as it was built by Fr. Etienne Boubet, A.A. in 1920s and was magnificently renovated by Fr. Robert Fortin, A.A. between 1994 and 1997. Pilgrims from around the world who visit St. Peter’s are profoundly touched by its biblical importance and the beautiful art which calls them to repentance, contrition and conversion. As the author states, “St. Peter Gallicantu is special among holy places because step by step it offers so many opportunities to enter into Christ’s passion…”

by Katie Mulembe, Membership and Recruitment Coordinator, Catholic Volunteer Network

(editor's note: The Assumptionists, both in the United States and abroad, are committed to offering young people opportunities to live and work with Assumptionist communities throughout the world. In the United States, the community has joined forces with its female counterpart, the Religious of the Assumption, in support of AMA, Associate Missionaries of the Assumption http://www.assumptionvolunteers.org. Young men have lived in Assumptionist communities in Tanzania, Worcester, Mexico City, Manila, and elsewhere. The Assumptionists in France have also organized an active volunteer program http://www.assomption.org/totale_jeunes.php which offers volunteer sites in Paris, Romania, Jerusalem, Quebec, etc.)

Over the last few decades, many religious communities have made a deliberate effort to open their doors to the laity. This is particularly visible in our network of volunteer programs, where it is not unusual to find vowed religious living in community with lay volunteers and missioners. This lifestyle puts into practice the vision that Pope Benedict XVI calls the “new missionary age in the Church,” one in which believers of every vocation fully embrace their baptismal call as partners in the mission of the Church.

Conversations at the Center - Sunday, February 6, 2011

After viewing the film GANDHI on Saturday evening at the Assumptionist Center in Brighton, the community, residents and guests gathered after Mass on Sunday for a presentation and discussion on “Gandhi and Christianity.”

Alex McKinley, resident at the Center and a Master’s degree student at Harvard Divinity School, shared his understanding of Gandhi and his relationship with Christianity. His presentation was thought provoking and rich in challenging one’s conception of how the spiritual leader’s life and teaching marked his own world and ours.