Elias Chacour

Born in the village of Biram in Palestine, Elias Chacour spent his early years in contentment, the son of Melkite Christian parents who owned a fig orchard and raised their large family in strong faith and the principles of contribution to their society. All of this came to an abrupt end with the arrival of Zionist soldiers who violently forced the villagers to flee to the neighboring destroyed village of Gish. Elias was clearly torn. On one hand, he had been taught to forgive and pray for one's enemies; on the other, he was the victim of a violent movement that had destroyed the life of his family. As he grew and matured, Elias began to establish a very personal relationship with God and Jesus, moving toward a life of religious vocation, being educated first in an orphanage and then seminaries, ultimately becoming ordained in the Melkite...