A Historic First: Arabic Mass Debuts at 2026 RECongress
For the first time in its 70-year history, the Religious Education Congress (RECongress) celebrated a bilingual Arabic Mass, drawing hundreds of faithful to a landmark liturgy on February 21. Hosted by the Arab American Catholic Community (AACC), the Mass offered a powerful counter-narrative to modern stereotypes.
"Our intention is to show our beautiful Arabic and Christian culture," said Father Ala Musharbash, AACC chaplain. "Maybe it’s messed up a little bit with social media and the news, but if you go deeper, you find something beautiful."
Cultural Highlights:
The Language of Jesus: Father Musharbash noted that Arabic’s close ties to Aramaic mean that prayers like the Our Father are offered in a tongue remarkably similar to the one Jesus spoke.
Unique Iconography: The altar featured Our Lady of the Holy Land, an icon depicting Mary in traditional Palestinian dress and Jesus in a keffiyeh.
A Call for Peace: The liturgy concluded with a plea for peace in the Middle East, with Musharbash urging the crowd to place their trust in God rather than political leaders.
History was made at #RECongress2026! 🕊️
Hundreds gathered for the first-ever Arabic Mass in the event's 70-year run. Led by Father Ala Musharbash and the Arab American Catholic Community, the liturgy was a vibrant celebration of faith representing families from Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt.
From the bilingual prayers to the beautiful icon of Our Lady of the Holy Land, the message was clear: "The Lord sees beyond our weakness... He sees our heart."
The AACC continues to build community with weekly Saturday Masses in Pomona and Sunday Masses in Redlands. ✨
Father Ala Musharbash, who serves 6,000 families through the Pomona-based AACC, presided over the bilingual service.
The Mass focused on the deep roots of Arabic Christianity. Key elements included:
Linguistic Connection: Use of the Arabic language to connect worshippers to the Aramaic roots of the Gospels.
Cultural Representation: Inclusion of the Our Lady of the Holy Land icon, blessed by Archbishop José H. Gomez in 2025.
Universal Message: A homily centered on God’s call to the "misunderstood and judged," ending with a fervent prayer for an end to global conflict. ( Image Katie Trejo - LACatholics - Text Source - https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/arabic-mass-recongress-2026/)
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