CTS News

19.09.2007

On the feast of the Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Custos, Pierbattista Pizzaballa was joined by numerous Franciscan friars as he received the profession of five new friars.

Frère Sergio Galdi (Italy), Frère Ziad Assaf, Frère Jihad Krayem, Frère William Makary (all three from Lebanon) et Frère Ariel Dubé (Argentina) had entered the novitiate last year when they received the habit on Mount Nebo.

Having completed the Novitiate year in Bethlehem, they now made a commitment to the Lord in the Franciscan community in Saint Catherine’s Church, adjacent to the Basilica of the Nativity. The church was filled, not only with friars, but also with many members of the Bethlehem parish who came to surround “their” novices with their prayerful affection, as well as some family members and a number of religious brothers and sisters from the area.

The commitment is for one year. From now on, the brothers are “professed” religious brothers. For at least three more years they will renew their vows annually until their solemn profession.

In his homily, the Father Custos reminded the friars that they were performing “a free and conscious act of adhering to Christ Crucified, with the commitment to live the Gospel after the manner of Saint Francis, pronouncing vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in order to be witnesses of love, instruments of peace, initiators of encounters, dialog and reconciliation; guardians of Christian hope in the Holy Land of Jesus“. Referring to the stigmata that Francis bore in his flesh, he said, “We must live the ’stigmata’ of the human condition, all sorts of poverty, the pain of innocents, doubts of the faith, the fatigue of a testimony that is frequently contradicted, ignored or ridiculed.”

Then the Father Custos received their vows, replying “on behalf of the Lord, if you keep [your vows] I promise you eternal life“. Giving them the Rule of Saint Francis he added, “In observing [this Rule] may you attain perfect charity“.

The celebration, beautiful in its sobriety, was impregnated with the spirit of great fraternal joy. The joy continued while all those present partook of refreshments in the Bethlehem convent.

The young newly professed friars will continue their studies at Saint Saviour’s Monastery in Jerusalem. The three Lebanese friars have already completed the philosophy curriculum (in their mother tongue) in the Harissa convent in Lebanon, where they spent a three-year postulancy. They, therefore, will proceed directly to the theology cycle.

As the 2007 academic year begins, Saint Saviour’s Monastery counts four student-friars in philosophy and 35 student-friars in theology. They are of 14 different nationalities (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Poland, Russia, USA). Twenty-two friars are destined for service in the Custody. The others will return to their provinces of origin at the completion of their studies.

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