BEIRUT — Full of zeal for their faith, 920 Melkite Catholic
young adults from the Middle East gathered in Lebanon for the first
conference especially for them.
Meeting under the theme, “To You I
Say Rise,” the participants, ages 18-35, came from the Palestinian
territories, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon for the Aug. 9-13
event, hosted by the Melkite Catholic Patriarchate.
Edward
Nazarian, 22, a student in medical devices engineering from Aleppo,
Syria, said the conference restored hope for young people, particularly
those from Syria.
“After going through so many years of war, we
fell into despair. We are here to renew that hope, that confidence and
faith,” he said.
Melkite Father Kamil Melhem, spiritual director
for young adults, told the group at the opening that the conference
would “be the first spark that will illuminate the paths of our
faltering lives in the East.” The main venue was the Liqaa (“gathering”)
Conference Center, located in a valley beneath the Melkite Patriarchate
in Rabweh, 12 miles north of Beirut.
The event combined prayer,
educational workshops — including communication and social media — and
presentations related to the Melkite Catholic identity. Participants
also visited holy sites of Lebanon, including Harissa, Our Lady of
Lebanon, the tomb of St. Charbel and the biblical coastal cities of Tyre
and Sidon in South Lebanon.
Melkite Patriarch Joseph Absi told
participants in his opening address, “You came carrying a variety of
flags, but one banner unites you, the banner of Jesus Christ.”
He
continued, “There are many voices and noises in your life, attracting
you, disputing you … tiring you, but today the voice of Jesus is calling
each of you.”
Patriarch Absi advised the young adults: “Open up
to each other and communicate. Show each other your dreams and
aspirations, and share your fears and concerns. Unite, because you are
the power that can create a new Pentecost.”
Emphasizing that young
people are precious to the Church, Patriarch Absi told them: “Thank God
you are here. You have heard the voice of Jesus Christ who says,
‘Rise!’”
“It’s great to see the unity of the church,” said Nadine
Zayat, 24, a recent graduate in sociology from Cairo. “Even though we’re
from different countries and different backgrounds, we’re all united in
Jesus; this is why it’s so special. It’s great to meet new people, have
fun and encourage and support each other to continue our message in our
countries. I’m hoping more people get to know Jesus.”
Even though it is forbidden in Egypt to preach in the streets, she said, Christians “are a witness by the way we act.”
At
a break time, Father Youssef Achaia of Cairo led an impromptu chorus
singing “Immaculate Mary”; the circle they formed grew wider as more
conference participants joined in.
“The youth, when they come together are very strong,” Father Achaia said. “They can do a lot.”
As
Christians living among Muslims in the Middle East, he said, “we have
to be a light. We’re taking this light from Jesus, and we reflect it,
first in our self, and then onto the others.”
For 32-year-old
Khaldoon Al Haddad, who works at the Central Bank in Amman, Jordan, the
gathering was a chance to exchange and share ideas. He told CNS one of
the biggest challenges of working with a youth group in his parish is to
engage teens, amid all their activities and the “noise of the world.”
“I hope to come back (to Jordan) with new ideas, new ways and methods to bring youth back to the Church,” he said.