Palestinian carving custom follows exodus of Christian population

Published: 2004-05-26

NEWARK, Del. (CNS) -- Butros Qumseya dreams of a Holy Land in which Palestinian Christians help bridge the bitter divide between Jews and Muslims. He dreams of returning home to Beit Sahour -- the Town of Shepherds, about a mile east of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem -- and not having to worry about bombs or helicopters harming his children as they play. He dreams of resuming his teaching position at Terra Sancta High School in Jerusalem. He had to give up that job when he could not be sure he could get to school each day after Israeli soldiers threatened to close Palestinian access to Jerusalem at a moment's notice. Qumseya believes Palestinian Christians hold the key to making his dreams come true. "For peace in the Middle East we are the cornerstone," the 49-year-old Qumseya said in an interview with The Dialog, Wilmington diocesan newspaper, at Holy Angels Church in Newark. As founder and representative of a union of Holy Land craftsmen, Qumseya has traveled to churches along the East Coast over the past two years, offering Holy Land-made olivewood rosaries, crosses, creche sets, busts, statues and depictions of the Last Supper.

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