About Birzeit's Parish Priests
Birzeit's Parish Priests
With unlimited devotion, Father Anton Buzo served the Parish and the City of Bir zeit for fifty years, serving and giving without discrimination and with a generous heart.
Father Anton was born on September 11, 1912 in Italy, to a middle class, faithful Catholic family. He completed his studies in philosophy, and left in 1934 to Haifa and began his studies in theology at the Catholic Clerical Institute in Jerusalem. He was then transferred to Beit Jala Seminary, and after four years he was ordained a priest on July 10, 1938, and became Assoc iate Priest at various parishes.
In 1943, he was appointed parish priest of Birzeit. Through the fifty years of his leadership in Birzeit, the late Father Anton extended his activities from clerical and parochial service to building and developing a school, to constructing a large, modern church, and to helping those in need.
After the death of Fr. Buzo in 1994 Fr. Emil Salayta became the new pastor in Birzeit. In the continuing spirit of giving and devotion. Fr. Emil developed the Living Stone Housin g Complex and developed a secondary school as well.
In 2000, Father Emil was appointed manager of the Patriarchate College in the South of Jordan, and he left Birzeit under his sacred vow of obedience. His heart very much remained with Birzeit. Fr. Iyad Al-Twal was then appointed parish priest in Birzeit. In 2003, Fr. Iyad was asked to become an instructor in the seminary, and Fr. Aziz Halaweh took up the pastorship of the flock in Birzeit.
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