New Church, New City

Today the Mundelein Pilgrims had another day of classes here in Jerusalem. We continue to attend lectures on the Prophetic books of the Old Testament (currently the first part of Isaiah) and we continue our scriptural pilgrimage as we heard a lecture on the 7^th and 8^th Chapters of the Gospel of John. The daily rhythm of classes is very manageable and leaves us with afternoon to explore the Old City, pray, and to catch up on assignments.

Today’s special guest was Fr. David Neuhaus, S.J. who gave a presentation on Jewish-Christian relations here in the Holy Land. It was immediately clear that Father had real expertise in the area, considering he lives out the relationship in his daily life. Father comes from German-Jewish family and was baptized at the age of twenty-five after some providential encounters with Christians and a long period of study and discernment. To hear more about Father’s amazing journey to Catholicism and the priesthood in his own words, follow this link to a video interview he gave to Salt & Light Media in 2016.

Father’s current responsibilities are many but his primary role is to serve as Vicar for the Hebrew Speaking Catholics in the State of Israel. The Christian population in Israel is very small, the Catholic population smaller, the Latin Rite community smaller still, and of the latter, those who practice their faith speaking Modern Hebrew is very few. They are composed of a group of some converts from Judaism, but are mostly the family members of Jewish citizens or migrants from other places around the globe seeking employment here in Israel’s thriving economy. These faithful are collectively referred to as the “New Church”, and Father Neuhaus is their shepherd. Father gave a fantastic presentation displaying his profound insights and wonderful sense of humor—I’m sure St. Ignatius is proud to have him in the Society of Jesus!

Another perhaps less reported part of our Jerusalem experience is the experience of the “New City.” By and large, the places of importance to the pilgrim are within the walls of the Old City or across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives. However, we can also enjoy the sights of the modern part of Jerusalem just a block or so from our residence. The main place of business, restaurants, people-watching, and general bustle is Jaffa Street. Jaffa Street is a great place to walk, stretching from the Old City Walls in the South to the Hasidic Neighborhoods in the North. Typical of any western city there are plenty of street performers, markets, and families going about their daily life. It’s great to see that Jerusalem is still a place ordinary people living their lives all while housing the sites of the most profound mysteries of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.