For the first time Fr. Ala Musharbash, a priest of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Chaplain of the Arab American Catholic Community in Southern California, presided over an Arabic Mass during the 4-day Religious Education Catholic gathering in Los Angeles.
In 1989, the Arab American Catholic Community (AACC) was formed as part of St. Joseph Church in Pomona city in California and is also present in Redland. Made up of approximately 6,000 families, primarily originating from six countries (Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt), the community is part of a local parish, yet is also cared for by the Diocese of Jerusalem.
For seventy years, the RECongress has attracted faithful from across the United States, hosting many Masses and liturgies in various languages and cultures. This year marked a historic first: a Mass held in Arabic, revealing more of the beautiful diversity of the Catholic Church in the United State.
While the Gospel was proclaimed in English, the remainder of the liturgy, most notably the consecration of the host, was prayed in Arabic. To help non-Arabic-speaking faithful participate fully, English translations of the prayers and hymns were projected on large screens, along with a simple phonetic guide to assist with the Arabic responses.
Addressing the church, Fr. Ala’a Musharbash explained that Arabic is a close linguistic relative of Aramaic. “When we pray the Our Father,” he said, “we are praying in a language very close to the one Jesus himself spoke.”
In an interview with Angelus News, Fr. Musharbash reflected on the importance of celebrating Mass in Arabic at this gathering. “I want to thank RECongress for giving us this opportunity to share our beautiful Arabic culture,” he said. “We have a very nice, beautiful culture. Maybe it’s distorted up a little bit with social media and the news. But if you search more deeply, you will find a beautiful culture.” Acknowledging the many misconceptions surrounding Arab identity in the USA, noting the need to challenge these assumptions to foster genuine encounter.
Placed beside the altar was a customized icon of Our Lady of the Holy Land, depicting Mary clothed in traditional Palestinian attire and the Child Jesus adorned with a keffiyeh.
Susan shared: "I am an Arab American, born in New Jersey to Jordanian parents, and I carry my heritage with deep gratitude and pride. What began as the dream of one young parishioner grew into an extraordinary experience at the 70th Annual RECongress. As volunteers, we stepped forward trusting the process, guided every step by the warmth and care of the organizers. It was a deeply moving, grace-filled moment that brought joy, a renewed sense of unity".
At the conclusion of the Mass, Fr. Musharbash prayed for peace to take root across the world and for all wars to cease, especially in the Middle East. He called on the faithful to be active instruments of that peace, placing their trust not in human powers, but in God alone, through whom true reconciliation is made possible.
