#seminarians

Israeli settlers are attacking the Christian community in Jerusalem including bishops and priests! The Christian community is literally fighting for their lives right now in the Armenian Quarter. Christians: more of you need to stand up with us against this violence! This has never been a Muslim issue. (28.12.2023)

Chancellery Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem

28 December, 2023

A MASSIVE AND COORDINATED PHYSICAL ATTACK WAS LAUNCED ON BISHOPS, PRIESTS, DEACONS, SEMINARIANS, AND OTHER ARMENIAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN JERUSALEM WITHINONE HOUR OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. SEVERAL PRIESTS, STUDENTS OF THE ARMENIAN THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY, AND INDIGENOUS ARMENIANS ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED.

Over 30 armed provocateurs in ski-masks with lethal and less-than-lethal weaponry including powerful nerve-agents that have incapacitated dozens of our clergy broke into the grounds of the Cow's Garden and began their vicious assault. We stress again, several priest, deacons and students of the Armenian Theological Academy along with indigenous Armenians are seriously injured. ARMENIAN CLERICS IN JERUSALEM ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES AGAINST IMPUNE PROVOCATEURS.

This is the criminal response we have received for the submission of a lawsuit to the District Court of Jerusalem for the Cow's Garden, which was officially received by the Court less than 24 hours ago. This is how the Australian-Israeli businessman Danny Rothman (Rubinstein) and George Warwar (Hadad) react to legal procedures.

The Armenian Patriarchate's existential threat is now a physical reality. Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and indigenous Armenians are fighting for their very lives on the ground. We are calling on authorities around the world and the International Media to help us save the Armenian Quarter from a violent demise that is being locally supported by unnamed entities. We call upon the Israeli Government and Police to start an investigation against Danny Rothman (Rubinstein) and George Warwar (Hadad) for organizing their continuous criminal attacks on the Armenian Patriarchate and Community, attacks which seem to have no end in sight.

Israel is a State of law and order and such criminal behavior cannot be tolerated and go unpunished.

Trainee priests skate in a line on the College Pond at Ushaw, Durham County circa. 1965

Late last night (Thursday Sept 24 2020), the LMPD surrounded First Unitarian Church, which was holding a service of lament, and claimed protestors there had been involved in an alleged attempt to set a library on fire. After negotiations between church leaders and police, folks were finally allowed to leave. I’m pretty sure the service never got to take place.

Thankful but so fearful for my fellow seminarians and ministers up in Louisville for their courageous work. I wish it weren’t necessary.

Image description:

A Facebook post by Louisville seminarian Linette Lowe from around 3am Sept 25 reading,

Here’s what’s on my mind. Protesters were invited to First Unitarian Church for a time of lament and healing this evening. Upon arriving, they were immediately surrounded on all sides by LMPD in riot gear. Rather than allowing us to partake in sacred space together, the police turned that sacred opportunity into a tense standoff. Church leadership spoke to police leadership on numerous occasions asking that folks be allowed to leave peaceably. They could have allowed folks to leave in a direction away from the investigation that they were involved in on the north side at the library. Instead they continued to use fear and intimidation and an obscene show of force with a group of people who were peacefully protesting and desiring sacred space. I’m disgusted.

And for those of you who want to talk about what Jesus would do, Jesus was a brown, marginalized person who very intentionally sided with the oppressed and overlooked in his society. He pointed out the mistreatment of women and the poor and the sick. He upset the moneychangers’ tables in the temple. He was persecuted by the powers that existed in his time because he spoke love and truth to power. And ultimately, he died for that. So yeah, what would Jesus do!?

The post includes a photo of police at the church.

Two posts from Louisville seminarian and protest leader Stachelle Bussey are also included. The first is from around midnight and reads “They surrounded us at the church. Nothing was on fire. If a fire was started, it was not by that group that I led to that church. I led that group straight to the church. Not one fire was set from the group. I hate the lies.”

This Lent, be quiet

What to do for Lent? That question reminds me of that old joke about the two seminarians. One of them asks the bishop if it would be okay to smoke while praying.

“No,” his excellency answered sternly. “When you’re praying, you should be giving your whole heart and attention to God.”

Seminarian walks out gloomily and sees another seminarian pacing up and down the courtyard with his breviary,…

Happy Feast Day Blessed Rolando Rivi

1931-1945 Feast Day: May 29 Blessed Rolando Rivi was a young seminarian from a strong Catholic farming family in Italy. He was martyred by the Communist partisans after he refused to stop wearing his cassock. He is a role model for seminarians and youth because of his determination to stay true to the faith in the face of persecution and danger. “I belong to Jesus.” was his mantra. He’s a martyr for Catholic identity.