Students at Bethlehem University facing 鈥渆xtraordinary" difficulties
By Joseph Tulloch and Fr Adrian Danca
In 1964, when 杏MAP导航 Paul VI made his historic pilgrimage to the Holy Land 鈥� the first by a 杏MAP导航 since ancient times 鈥� he expressed a desire to do something to help the Palestinian people.
It took nearly a decade for that project to take shape. But, in 1973 in Bethlehem, the first Catholic university in the Holy Land opened its doors.
Today, Bethlehem University serves around 3,000 students, and sees its mission as contributing 鈥渢o building a free, peaceful and vibrant Palestine.鈥�
Its Vice-President for Advancement, Br Jack Curran, FSC, is currently in Rome, for a meeting of aid agencies serving the Eastern Catholic Churches.
He spoke to Vatican News鈥� Fr Adrian Danca about the toll that the Israel-Hamas war is exacting on students at BU, and ways that staff are trying to adapt.
鈥淓xtraordinary鈥� difficulties
Br Curran said that the situation for students at BU has been 鈥渞eally quite difficult for many years鈥�, but that problems have 鈥渋ntensified extraordinarily鈥� since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October last year.
He stressed in particular the lack of ability to enter and leave the West Bank, or move from town to town within it.
To arrive in Bethlehem from Jerusalem, where forty percent of BU students live, Br Jack noted 鈥� a journey of just eight kilometers 鈥� was 鈥渋mpossible for five months.鈥�
New methods
Br Curran said that this situation had forced faculty and staff at Bethlehem University to 鈥渇ind new ways to engage the students.鈥�
This meant, he said, focusing on the essentials of their mission: 鈥渢o provide a human and Christian education to the students鈥�, forming their character and helping make them better citizens.
He said that their goal was to nurture within their students the mindset that 鈥渢he future is a future of hope.鈥�
Sometimes, he noted, this is quite difficult: 鈥渢he intensity of the psychological pressure on our students and on our faculty is a great concern.鈥�
For this reason, he said, 鈥渨e're trying to do what we can to maintain normalcy as best as possible, and to attend to the psychological and academic concerns of our students.鈥�
Prayer and solidarity
Asked how individuals can support the work of Bethlehem University, Br Curran said that there is an 鈥渦rgent need鈥� for both prayer and concrete solidarity.
, he said, are greatly appreciated, as they help to 鈥渦pgrade counseling and psychological care鈥� for students, as well as to increase academic support.
鈥淭his mission that we have as the only Catholic University in the Holy Land,鈥� Br Curran concluded, 鈥渋s amazingly important. It's a great place for the Church to be.鈥�
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