THE JERUSALEM STUDENTS ANNUAL MASS
The Jerusalem Students Annual Mass was celebrated on Sunday 6th November in the Cathedral of The Transfiguration at 12:00 pm.
Most Reverend Canada Melkite Bishop Milad El Jawich celebrated the Jerusalem Students Mass for the intention of the students, scholarship sponsors and the Holy Land. His Excellency mentioned the importance of charity and said: ” It is a joy to have with us today, the Knights of Columbus, these Knights whom I would like to call The Angels of The Divine Mercy, the specialists of the humanitarian charity, which is an essential part of our Christian identity. We can not truly live the Gospel and fully apply the words of Jesus without loving each other especially our brothers and sisters who are in need.”
The objective of Jerusalem Students is to sponsor the education scholarship of needy Christian students in the Holy Land to help them get a decent education, go to university, graduate and ultimately form successful families that will grow to populate the land where Jesus walked and preached thus preserving the Christian presence in the Holy Land and reversing their diminishing trend. The program supports the Melkite Catholic Patriarchate school, in Shepherds’ Fields, Beit Sahour, the town where the angel announced the good news of Jesus Christ’s birth to the shepherds, near Bethlehem.
The Knights of Columbus Ontario State Warden, Sir Knight Henry Miller was the Chief Knights of Columbus Dignitary at the Jerusalem Students Mass. Monsignor Makarios Wehbe thanked St. John Paul II Assembly assisted by All Saints of China Assembly for providing the Honor Guard Service as they had done for many years and are greatly appreciated. The scholarship sponsors and Knights representing their councils received their student file, grades, thank you card, letter from the principal and letter from the Archbishop of Jerusalem with appreciation certificates for the sponsors whose students already graduated. The sponsors are spread all over Canada and the United States.
Many Knights of Columbus councils and members, sponsor education scholarships for needy students (70% of scholarship sponsors are Knights). TORONTO COUNCIL 1388 is the GOLD SPONSOR (9 students), and there is also an anonymous generous sponsor who has been donating C$10,000 for many years to support the deficit of the Melkite Catholic Patriarchate School in Beit Sahour.
Jerusalem Students received the Supreme Council International Youth Service Award in the 2013 Supreme Convention in San Antonio, Texas and received the Ontario State Deputy Longevity Award for 2021-2022. This year is the 11th year anniversary of Jerusalem Students. The program has 12 students who were sponsored until graduation this year. 48 students already graduated and gone to higher learning joining universities in the Holy Land. 80 more students are still under scholarship. It is a very affordable program for any council or parishioner starting at C$21 per month for sharing the education scholarship of a needy Christian student. For more info contact Brother Hikmat Dandan, the Founder and Chairman of Jerusalem Students call 416-893 8060 or visit www.jerusalemstudents.org
Last year, Jerusalem Students launched its LEGACY SPONSOR initiative. A Legacy Sponsor lives and leaves a LEGACY to make a difference for future lives of needy students, as his LEGACY is every student’s life, he will be touching for a long time.
To watch the streamlined Jerusalem Students Mass, click on this link: https://fb.watch/gFu6Qpulnf/