Hear this world-renowned priest, peacemaker, and author address
“What are the Things that Make for Peace?”
To our friends in Washington, DC: A special invitation. If you live nearby, please come to one or more of these events! If you have friends or family in the area, please forward this invitation to them. All events are free, and free-will offerings will be received to support scholarships at the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin, founded by Father Chacour.
Wednesday, October 1 – 7:00pm
- Dumbarton United Methodist Church,
3133 Dumbarton St NW, Washington, DC, 20007
Phone: (202) 333-7212:
Saturday, October 4 – 7:00pm NOTE: This is a change of time from what was first announced.
- Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, sponsored by the Institute of Catholic Culture
- 46639 Algonkian Pkwy, Potomac Falls / Sterling, VA 20165
- Questions? Call (703) 504-8733
Sunday, October 5
- National Presbyterian Church, preaching at the 9:15 and 11:00 worship services
4101 Nebraska Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
Phone (202) 537-0800 - Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Meeting with church members and guests 1:30pm (after 12:30 mass)
3630 Quesada St NW, Washington, DC 20015
Phone (202) 966-6575
About Archbishop Chacour:
Elias Chacour was born in 1939 in the village of Biram in the Upper Galilee in Palestine, to a Palestinian Christian family. At the age of eight, he experienced the tragedy of his people when he was evicted, along with his whole village, in the Jewish War of Independence. He became a refugee in his own country.
In 1965, he was ordained a Melkite Catholic priest and was assigned to a parish in the small village of Ibillin in Galilee. While serving as priest and pastor, he quickly saw the need for reconciliation and education in the face of poverty and conflict. He founded a Kindergarten in 1970, followed by a library, community center, elementary school, and high school. Three thousand students from age three to eighteen now attend these highly rated schools, coming from a 50-mile radius around Ibillin. The students and faculty include Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Druze. More than 50% of the students are girls. They come to MEEI for a superior education and to demonstrate the possibility of living together with mutual respect in the midst of great diversity.
Archbishop Chacour was the first Israeli Arab to graduate from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he received a Master’s Degree in Bible and Talmudic Studies in 1968. In 1971, he obtained a Ph.D. in Ecumenical Theology at the University of Geneva.
Archbishop Chacour is the author of Blood Brothers and We Belong to the Land, telling the stories of his life and ministry in Ibillin. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the World Methodist Peace Award, the Marcel Rudloff Peace and Tolerance Award at Strasbourg, and the Niwano Peace Prize, Tokyo-Japan.
In February 2006, he was consecrated as Archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church of Haifa, Akko, Nazareth and all Galilee. As archbishop, he pursued his passions of caring for the oppressed and working for reconciliation among peoples, especially the diverse and historically complex interests of the people of the Middle East. “I want to be a moderating voice in the conflict that has spilled too much blood.” In January 2014, in his 75th year, Abuna Chacour retired and returned to his home in Ibillin where he is reveling in having time to pray, read, write, meet with visitors, and travel to share his peacemaking vision.
For information: Rev. Joan Deming, Pilgrims of Ibillin, jdeming7@gmail.com or 608-235-1046.