Dear friends,
Behold, I bring you good news: Our students are back on Campus, it was a delightful day, the 1st of September, when over 3,000 families brought their children back to the school. I got up early prayed for everybody directors, working personal and Children. You can imagine how moved I felt after a whole year complete absence of everyone from Campus. It was a desert, it was like a ghost campus.
Yesterday I took breakfast very quickly and was driven with my car to cross the parking lot. Normally, it takes two minutes to cross the small distance between my residence and the schools. Yesterday it took us half hour to cross that small distance. If I would have walked I would have been faster crossing that small distance.
Our large parking lot was jam full of cars. Cars were waiting to come in to the school parking lot, already from the one-kilometer distance from the village and leaving the parking lot, the cars were filling as far as one or two kilometers away from the school. At the school itself, hundreds of children were streaming to the elementary school on one side, and to the high school on the other.
I took the time to enjoy meeting with all those beautiful boys and girls coming around from many villages and towns from all over the Galilee. It was the ingathering of the children of God in their common home, the school, at the Elementary school teachers were posted behind tables papers registering the names of who were arriving.
The parents bid farewell to their children without entering the school space. Other teachers were helping the youngest ones to find their way into the school building, and at the entrance, the principle and his team advisors were welcoming the children.
It was really like the return of scattered brothers and sisters to the father’s house rather to the mother’s house.
At the High school all arrangements were made previously to keep the cars as far as possible from the building itself. Here too, teachers were posted at every corner leading to the building, at the entrance again the principle and his collaborators were standing ready to welcome everyone with a wide smile which was return back with a beautiful smile to the students. Happiness was radiating out from every face.
I was privileged to address the high school students with a portable loudspeaker, I welcomed them back home, I reminded them that they will never forget the past scholastic year, It’s the year of the Corona Virus. Everyone among you missed his or her friend. Learning on the Zoom isn’t the best way for having a good education, since education means first of all to be together, to share. to build friendship and to welcome the otherness of each other.
Due to your help prayers and your assistance, we were able to set the building ready and our hearts be strongly welcoming all our children, Christian, Muslims and Druze alike. Our teachers, Christian, Muslims, Druze and Jewish are your ambassadors to educate our children on the “unity within the diversity”.
We thank you for your assistance no matter how large or small it has been and it would be.
Last good news for today, I got the news that the publishers of “Blood Brothers” are making a new publication with a new format and layout. It will be published soon. I hope everyone will buy at least a copy for himself and another if not few more copies to give as gift to your best friends.
I am not used to write such long messages, but I was urged with the need to share with you God’s blessing on us, partly because of your friendship and prayers.
The school is becoming an oasis of hope for us and for our society. Our sincere hope that many among you would be given this privilege to come and be our honored guest. Our guest house is still closed, we hope to reopen it for you and for others to enjoy the encounter with the students with the beautiful panoramic view over Haifa and a large part of Galilee.
Yours with sincere friendship and strong gratitude,
Abuna Elias Chacour
Archbishop em. of Galilee
