Nawras Sammour, SJ, a native of Aleppo, Syria, and a dentist, entered the Society in '94 and is now in philosophy studies at St. Joseph's in Beirut. With him is Fr. Alfredo Vizcara, SJ, from Peru, who is studying Arabic at St. Joseph's in Beirut. Nawras took Alfredo on a tour of his hometown during Christmas vacation. Members of Christian Life Communities in Syria are at a conveventia, a weekend gathering at a little village in Syria.
Participants come from various cities in Syria for prayer, discussion, and hikes.
He earned a doctorate of letters from Paris in '62. He has taught philosophy and anthropology at St. Joseph's University, where he founded and is dean of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences. Mr. Charbel Batour, SJ, from Beirut, studied biology at Lebanese University before entering the Society in '88. He is in theology studies in Paris but returns to Lebanon for pastoral work in summers, usually after a month spent in Dublin to perfect his English. Jan Bronsveld, SJ, provincial of the Near East Province, entered the Society in 1956 and studied Arabic in Lebanon.