JUNE 2008

PHOTO BY DAVID REED
Dick O’Dows is the scene for informal Bible discussions twice a month
a glass of faith
Chaldeans meet with Bibles and brew to discuss religion
BY VANESSA DENHA-GARMO
With a Bible and a drink in
hand, Kristina Younan
lead a recent discussion
group on Catholicism at the newly
created Bible & Brew group held at
Dick O’Dow’s in Birmingham.
Drinking a beer is not a requirement;
Younan chose a soda to sip.
It is not a new concept in the
Catholic religion — discussing the
gospels over a beer — however it is
considered, by some people, edgy for
Chaldean church-goers. Regardless of
the controversy that could come with
the idea, Patrice Konja wanted to tap
right into the program.
As an active member of E.C.R.C
for years, Konja said she finds great
joy in spreading the Word of Christ to
high school teens. So she decided to
mimic the Latin Rite’s program called
“Theology on Tap.”
“The concept is foreign to many,”
explained Konja in an e-mail blast to
community members encouraging
them to attend. “We sit in a bar, grab
a drink, and talk about topics related
to our faith. We drink lightly and discuss
heavily. Many might see the
words ‘Bible’ and ‘Brew’ contradictory
but the focus is not to drink, the focus
is Christ. Bible & Brew provides a
relaxed environment for faith searching
and allows those who may be lost
to find their way in an unconventional
setting. Though technically at a
bar, the venue is not ‘bar-like’ at all,
it’s more like a private room at a
restaurant.”
Every other Tuesday a different
person moderates the discussion.
Younan, a graduate student of theology,
shared her insight on the topic of
discussion for the evening: Why we
should follow the church.
“I wanted the talk to be an apology
for why we follow the teachings of
the church,” said Younan, who is
studying for her Masters of Arts at
Sacred Heart Major Seminary with a
concentration on Systematic and
Historical Theology. “It [the talk] was
meant not only to prepare them to be
able to defend their faith if attacked,
but also to reinforce the truths that
they’ve heard in previous Bible &
Brew discussion.”
Three young men who contributed
greatly to the discussion that night
will each one day be an ordained
priest. Matthew Zetouna, Pierre
Konja and Paul Karmo are all thirdyear
students at Sacred Heart.
Zetouna said he attended the session
because he wanted to listen to
others discuss the faith while adding
his own input. “Bible & Brew is a
great way for others to have a conversation
about Christianity while having
a meal,” said Zetouna. “I enjoyed
FAITH
continued on page 34
JUNE 2008 CHALDEAN NEWS 33