Left: Bob Rabe, Amal, Kelly, Marina Back: Jim Rigg
On Sunday, the Archdiocese of Chicago welcomed Amal and Marina. It is not a coincidence that Superintendent, Jim Rigg is pictured behind the Jordanian teachers. He met Amal and Marina, along with General Director, Fr. Ashraf Alnimri (Superintendent) of Latin Patriarchate (Catholic) Schools and Suha Haddain, Director of Curriculum for Jordan LPS (Catholic) schools when he visited Jordan in 2014. Both Fr. Ashraf and Dr. Rigg recognized the importance of a twinning relationship between the LP schools in Jordan and Chicago, so the Welcome was also a very happy reunion. Coordinator for this event and contact person for three Catholic schools in Chicago was Mr. Bob Rabe, Director of Evangelization & Catholic Identity and Coordinator of HOPE/Chicago.
The Jordanian teachers were on a mission in the U.S. – to continue training in a thinking skills program called Talents Unlimited and to meet teachers and potential twinning partners in Chicago. Kelly Lomax, Director of Talents Unlimited, joined Amal and Marina and together they explained Talents Unlimited to Chicago. Talents was originally introduced to Jordan by Suha Haddain, Director of Curriculum for Jordan, who is committed to implementing this program in all of the Jordanian schools. Unfortunately, Suha became ill shortly before this trip, so she had to cancel.
It was an honor to have Sir Max Douglas Brown, Head of the North Central Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and his wife Lady Maryanne Brown present for the Welcome Dinner, along with Principals and Assistant Principals from St. John, St. Cletus and St. Xavier Catholic schools and Kevin Foy, Director of Missions Office and Susan Pudelek, Coordinator of Inter-religious Dialogue from the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Pictured: Kathleen Gorman, principal of St. John ,Jim O’Keefe, AP of St. John, Lady Maryanne Brown, LCHS, Sir Max Douglas Brown, KGCHS, Marina Musa,Bob Rabe, Director of Evangelization & Catholic Identity, Kevin Foy, Director of Missions Office, Tom Chinske, principal of St. Cletus,Christy Schaefer, AP of St. Cletus.
Pictured:Kevin Foy, Susan Pudelek, Coordinator of Inter-religious Dialogue, Sharon Garcia, principal St. Xavier, Janice Carr, AP St. Xavier Amal Thubian, Tom Chinske, principal St. Cletus, Christy Schaefer, AP St. Cletus, Kathleen Gorman, principal of St. John, Jim O’Keefe, AP St. John, Lady Maryanne Brown, LCHS, Sir Max Brown, KGCHS, Marina Hanhan, Jim Rigg, Susan of the Office of Ecumenical Affairs and Bob Rabe.