0,03

Across The Wall (screen text)

Missionary in the Holy Land

0,15

Fr. Vincent Nagle

0,15

When I told my mother that I would be leaving the United States--

0,17

She’s not young any more, and

0,20

My father is dead, and we’re very close--

0,23

that I would be leaving the United States to came here

0,25

I expected she make objections about this.

0,29

But there was silence on the phone, and silence,

0,31

Finally she said:

0,32

“Look, you were born a Jew,

0,35

You became a catholic

0,37

You took your degrees in the story of Islam

0,39

You have got to go

0,42

You have got to go there! That is where you have to be.

1,52

Shared Walls (screen text)

2,02

One thing that people know when they come here

2,05

are the divisions. Are the divisions, you know, and certainly they’re right

2,10

I mean, I mean look, these divisions dominate life here.

2,15

That brings out the other side of the coin.

2,17

What is it that the tension of the division

2,21

is felt  and noticed only because of what is being shared .

2,26

The tension between these histories and peoples is noticed and felt

2,30

only because of what is being shared.

2,34

And what is been shared is this land. It is precisely what unites us that also divides us.

2,38

And is precisely what divides us that also unites us. It’s this tension.

2,43

Who can live this tension?

2,45

You know, someone asked to me just yesterday, we were together in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

2,50

The church that covers both the place of Jesus’ Crucifixion and his burial and resurrection

2,56

And we are noticing walls that had been built precisely within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

3,02

In order to separate out the areas of the different Christian confessions

3,07

the Orthodox, Catholics, Armenians, Coptics, Ethiopians…

3,12

I said: “You know, these walls which are walls of division

3,15

also are walls that permit us to share the same place,

3,19

Because these are the people who have experienced Jesus Christ, in whom all things are fulfilled.

3,24

The One who, as saint Paul says, has broken down the walls of division. 

3,29

Across the Wall (Screen text)

3,35

This Saturday is the Christmas children’s party in the parish.

3,39

And the Caritas of Jerusalem wants to give gifts to all the children.

3,43

But the question is how to get the gifts there

3,46

Because transportation between Nablus and Jerusalem directly is not for everybody.

3,51

Only a few people have the permission do that with their cars.

3,55

Jerusalem (screen text)
Caritas Office

4,01

- Abdallah.

- Yes

- Ok

5,36

- Nablus, in Rafidia.

- Rafidia?

5,42

-And my superior from Roma, Paolo. Paolo, Anton.

5,58

- They had brought these for us!

6,19

A new beginning (screen text)

6,27

We had a meeting with the Patriarch today.

6,30

And he said:  “You know, this Vincent is an adventurous guy.

6,35

He always says Yes! And takes off!

6,38

I don’t know… I remember that at my first week here

6,42

The Patriarch asked my to go and begin to take care of the Catholic parish in Nablus

6,49

In a Catholic area, well, not just a Christian area

6,52

But where the Christians live in the area, it’s called Rafidia

6,56

There’s a Catholic parish there.

6,59

Nablus is a city when you can really see the results of the violence and the lack of public law,

7,06

Where there are gangs and clans

7,11

and obviously clashes between Israeli soldiers and people against the occupation.

7,36

NABLUS

7,37

We are in Nablus and just getting into a city like this is a problem.

7,40

The city is under siege, which means that all the roads are controlled by the Israeli military

7,42

Paolo Sottopietra (screen text)
vicar general, visiting from Rome

7,51

Who control scrupulously all the people who go in and out of the city.

7,53

120,000 people live here. The Christian community is very small.

7,58

Only 750 people

8,01

Nearly all the Christian families have left.

8,03

There is a large community of them in Santiago del Chile,

8,05

And others in the USA.

8,07

Living here as a Christian is not easy.

8,10

Yesterday a Christian said to me: you see, father, here for the Muslims, we are Christians,

8,16

And for the Jews, we are Arabs.

8,18

What we can do?

8,21

A reason to stay (screen text)

8,22

I was always against the Christian emigration from here abroad.

8,28

Because if all the Christians leave, it’s a museum left.

8,34

When we came back, all the people said we are crazy.

8,36

Even Jewish people.

8,40

The say: “You are crazy! You have a job in England, you have a wife from Europe.

8,44

It’s something unreasonable

8,46

But I think as you said what is the meaning of being Christian in the Holy Land,

8,50

is you don’t throw your cross away, you don’t say: I don’t care, I want an easy life.

8,55

- You don’t throw your cross away.

- You must carry your cross.

8,59

Because God is giving it to you in love.

9,02

- We live in a Islamic village, we live in a Jewish state, and we must live as Christians.

9,08

- Well God is at work, Jesus is at work through his Spirit and through those who say yes.

9,15

So, we will help each other to say yes. Ok?

- Yes.

9,19

Vincent told me that even though he came here in Nablus only a few months ago,

9,25

He already feels a strong affection for this city.

9,30

He is starting to enter the lives of the people,

9,34

And feel admiration for what they live, and for the way that they live.

9,37

And this generates affection for this city.

9,41

I think this affection is the contribution we can give here.

10,21

We went to visit the Sisters of Mother Theresa,

10,24

and they told us that since Vincent came here

10,27

the people are rediscovering the joy of coming to church.

10,31

To see a priest who enters their homes and is interested in the lives of the people

10,39

has given the people new encouragement to come back to church

10,43

Vincent is always a bit worried that his Arabic is not as fluent as he would like it to be.

10,59

He said to me that often, during his homilies, it is the parishioners from the pews who have to help him find the words.

11,08

But they do so with great attention.

11,09

and perhaps this difficulty increases their desire to understand what this man,

11,18

who came from so far away, from the United States, wants to bring to them.

11,35

Yesterday we had dinner together with a Christian family,

11,40

It struck me how Vincent immediately, even taking a risk, tried to shake them out

11,46

of the banality in which, even here, the Christian faith can be lived.

11,52

At a certain point, he said: “If we never say anything,

11,57

in the end we won’t feel or believe anything any more.

12,00

It is like if a man never tells his wife what he has in his heart, what he feels for her.

12,05

in the end he won’t feel anything any more.

12,52

Upon this Rock… (screen text)

Sea of Galilee

Primacy of Peter
(John 21)

13,02

I am certain about Christ.

13,04

But there are days

13,08

when a voice I can hear says: “Are you really sure?”

13,12

I don’t know, I don’t know if it ever happens to you

13,19

Certain days there’s a voice that has a certain accent, and it’s commanding. It says: “Are you really sure?”.

13,24

But even there are all objections possible, betrayal, really horrible,

13,28

terrible, disgusting betrayal,

13,35

But nevertheless, even though that, there is an untiring, constant voice that remains,

13,46

even from those depths of betrayal. And He says:

13,52

Well then, what? Follow me”.

13,54

At that point, you know…

13,58

at that point, you’ve got ask yourself…

14,02

You’ve got to ask yourself what is the only really reasonable thing to do now…

14,07

It’s only to say ok and start to follow Him…

14,12

Because there’s nobody else who invites us

14,16

with an invitation that really does convince us of Love and Truth.

14,45

Directed by (screen text)
Giacomo Prestinari

14,49

Images by (screen text)
Giacomo Prestinari
Stefano Schileo

14,52

Supervision (screen text)
Jonah Lynch

14,56

Music by (screen text)
Roland Satterwhite