Pastoral Activities of the Jesuits in the Holy Land

The Jesuit community counts eleven Jesuits, residing in three residences and involved in a great diversity of apostolates. However, one common apostolate is that of welcoming guests as many come to visit, desiring to know more deeply not only the Holy Places but also the contemporary reality in the Holy Land today. Many seek the Jesuits as spiritual directors, preachers of the Spiritual Exercises or teachers of Ignatian spirituality. Two Jesuits are mostly engaged in the field of Ignatian spirituality and spiritual direction. Whenever possible, members of the community are also at the service of the Arabic and Hebrew speaking faithful as well as the numerous communities of migrant workers and asylum seekers. One member of the community is particularly active with the local parish communities. 

A number of the Jesuits are engaged in the formation of seminarians, men and women religious and laypeople. Five of the eleven Jesuits speak Arabic and three of them are engaged in teaching (two at the Catholic university in Bethlehem and one at the diocesan seminary in Beit Jala). One of the five also teaches in Hebrew. Three members of the community are particularly focused on the mission of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and are at the service of the students who come from Rome for a semester or for shorter specialized programs. 

Two Jesuits in the community have unique missions in the Holy Land. One serves as the counsellor for religious affairs at the French Consulate, the diplomatic representation of France in Palestine. The other serves as the rector of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem, linked to the University of Notre Dame in the United States and offering biblical, theological and ecumenical formation. 

All the Jesuits in the community are aware of the unique opportunities for ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue in the Holy Land. Furthermore, the community tries to remain abreast of the volatile political situation and the social and cultural developments. One member of the community publishes regularly articles on these developments in the Civilta Cattolica and elsewhere.

David Neuhaus SJ