by Public Relations | Apr 27, 2015 | Alumni, Faculty, Parents, Students
The city of Jerusalem
Canisius President John J. Hurley and his wife, Maureen, completed their pilgrimage to the Holy Land this weekend. On days six and seven, the group visited The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the site of Jesus’ birth. They also made stops at Peter in Gallicantu, the dungeon in which Jesus was held by the high priest on Holy Thursday night; the Pool of Bethesda and the Western, or Wailing, Wall.
Click here to watch the virtual pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Days 6 & 7 – Bethlehem and Jerusalem
Reflections from President Hurley
The final two days of our Holy Land pilgrimage book-ended the life of Jesus: his birth in Bethlehem and his death in Jerusalem before his Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Fr. Jim Martin observed that Jesus entered and left this world in the most vulnerable of states: birth in a lowly cave in Bethlehem and death on a cross.
The Nativity Grotto in Bethlehem
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is a noisy, bustling shrine, made more so by extensive restoration and repairs that are underway under the supervision of Bethlehem’s Palestinian government. You are able to venerate the exact place where Jesus was born and also the place where he was placed in the manger, which is not the stable (a creation of St. Francis of Assisi), but is actually a cave.
The Wailing Wall
The purpose of our trip was religious and we intentionally avoided getting into the difficult political dynamics of Israel and the Middle East, but the wall that has been built around Palestinian-controlled Bethlehem is a stark reminder of the elusiveness of peace. The experience served to intensify our prayers each day for a true, just and lasting peace in the Holy Land.
The Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa
Our final day was a whirlwind trip through many famous sites in Jerusalem: We prayed the Stations of the Cross and carried the cross on the Via Dolorosa. We celebrated Mass at Crucifixion Chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We visited Peter in Gallicantu, the dungeon in which Jesus was held by the high priest on Holy Thursday night; we prayed at the site of the Upper Room; we saw the Pool of Bethesda, the site of the healing of the paralytic in John’s Gospel; and we made a final stop at the Western, or Wailing, Wall where we were able to pray with our Jewish brethren.
In walking through this ancient holy city, you are struck by the tremendous diversity. The narrow, almost claustrophobic streets of the city are home to hundreds and hundreds of shops offering Jewish, Christian and Muslim wares. Observant Jews with prayer shawls and young children in tow were out on Saturday making their way to temple and back home again. The Arab music of the shopkeepers on the Via Dolorosa merges with our own chant of “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” The prayers at the Wailing Wall are joined with the hauntingly beautiful call to prayer from the Muslim Quarter.
Submitted by: Marketing and Communication
by Public Relations | Apr 27, 2015 | Alumni, Faculty, Parents, Students
Due to inclement weather last Thursday, the Griffs softball doubleheader versus Niagara University has been moved to Wednesday, April 29, at 3:00 p.m.
The twin bill versus St. Bonaventure, originally scheduled for Wednesday, has been cancelled.
For additional information, visit www.GoGriffs.com
Submitted by: John Maddock, associate athletic director, external affairs
by Public Relations | Apr 27, 2015 | Faculty
Four in 10 Americans who borrowed from their retirement plans say that they regret that decision. Click here to find out why.
Submitted by: Dawn Rotterman, benefits specialist, Human Resources
by Public Relations | Apr 24, 2015 | Alumni, Faculty, Parents, Students
Canisius President John J. Hurley and his wife, Maureen, continue their pilgrimage through the Holy Land. On day five the group visited sites in Jerusalem. Mass was held at the Gethsemane Basilica which purportedly holds the stone upon which Jesus prayed in the garden on Holy Thursday. The group also visited the Ascension Chapel on the Mount of Olives, a site shared by Christians and Muslims. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre holds the site of Jesus’s crucifixion (Golgotha) where the group was able to touch the spot where the cross stood.
The Garden of Gethsemane
The week-long pilgrimage to the Holy Land is sponsored by America Media, a Jesuit ministry that includes America magazine. It is being led by Revs. James Martin, S.J., author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage; Matt Malone, S.J., editor-in-chief of America; and Brendan Lally, S.J., rector of the Jesuit community at St. Joseph’s University.
Throughout the week, “The Dome” will continue to share President Hurley’s reflections and photos from his journey (see below).
Also, click here to follow a virtual pilgrimage to the Holy Land through video links, which also will be posted daily.
Day Five – Thursday, April 23, 2015
Reflections from President Hurley
We are in Jerusalem, the Holy City in the Holy Land. Unlike our time in Galilee where we enjoyed temperatures in the 70s and 80s, the thermometer dropped into the 40s last night and it was cold and windy with a little rain today.
The site of the Ascension
We celebrated Mass this morning at the Gethsemane Basilica. In the sanctuary is the rock which is purported to be the stone upon which Jesus prayed in the garden on Holy Thursday. We sat close together on stools in the sanctuary and had an opportunity to contemplate and venerate the rock. Following Mass, there was time for reflection in a private section of the Garden of Gethsemane. Fr. Jim Martin talked this morning about Jesus coming to grips with God’s plan for him, and he asked us if there was something that we would like to surrender to.
We visited the Ascension Chapel on the Mount of Olives where, again, there is a stone which is reported to be the stone from which the Ascension took place. Interestingly, the site is shared by Christians and Muslims and we had a large contingent of Muslim pilgrims in the same space with us.
Golgotha
The afternoon was spent at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a structure dating back to the 13th century that contains the site of Jesus’s crucifixion (Golgotha), his descent from the cross, his internment in the tomb and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. This is not legend; scholars agree that these are the actual sites. It is almost too much to comprehend in such a concentrated space, and the hordes of pilgrims – Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Coptic Christians, Syrians, Armenians, and Ethiopians – do not make the task any easier. But you are actually able to touch the spot on Calvary where the cross stood and you can venerate the tomb of Christ, all of which is very, very powerful.
The Tomb of Christ
Every evening, we conduct faith sharing with our group, as we do at Canisius on student retreats and during our service and immersion trips with students. These are deep moments of reflection that reveal the many ways in which the Holy Spirit is working among all of us. As amazing as this pilgrimage has been, the work of the Holy Spirit in so many different ways is perhaps most amazing of all.
Submitted by: Marketing and Communication
by Public Relations | Apr 24, 2015 | Alumni, Faculty, Parents, Students
The Canisius College Chorale, under the direction of Frank Scinta, will present its annual spring concert on tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center. Please join us for this exciting annual climax to the chorale’s twelve-concert season. Admission is free and open to the public.
The evening will feature works by Hogan, Mendelssohn, Buxtehude, Dawson, Ticheli and others.
Now in its 18th season, The Canisius College Chorale remains one of Western New York’s most active collegiate music ensembles. Composed of 100 undergraduate and graduate members, the chorale regularly presents concert programs to school, church, and community audiences throughout Western New York and Southern Ontario. In recent years, the chorale has performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Ars Nova Chamber Musicians, Amherst Symphony Orchestra, Camerata di Sant’Antonio, Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
Submitted by: Frank Scinta, adjunct professor, fine arts
