Christian Brothers working in the Middle East

The Catholic Register has an article about the Christian Brothers working for peace in the Middle East at Bethlehem University. It's an interesting read for anyone who would like to see how the Christian Brothers are at work around the world, and quite relevant given the Pope's focus on dialogue during his Mideast trip.

“To be pro one side or the other side is simplistic,” said Curran, the vice president for development at Bethlehem University. “But there has to be a truth some place in the middle.”

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“What’s going to be needed when peace does come is educated, resourceful, creative Palestinian people,” said the university’s vice chancellor. “Bethlehem University is making a significant contribution to creating that core of people.”

It’s been a tough road for the founders of the West Bank’s first university.

The idea for Bethlehem University was hatched during Pope Paul VI’s historic 1964 visit to the Holy Land. Back then Bethlehem and East Jerusalem were part of Jordan, and the refugee population there asked the pope to help them with a university. But it wasn’t until after the 1967 war that Archbishop Pio Laghi and West Bank and East Jerusalem leaders got together to launch the institution. It officially opened in October 1973.

Read the whole article here.