Faith

With war still raging in Ukraine and Sudan and with a vulnerable attempt at peace between Gaza and Israel, this is a good time for us to seek the intercession of Our Lady for peace in the world, within communities, and in all of our hearts.

Archbishop Richard G.
Henning

The Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) was established as a papal agency in 1926 to provide pastoral and humanitarian support to churches and communities in North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and India. Drawing together the work of several Catholic agencies in the period after the widespread destruction of the First World War, CNEWA has operated in areas of the world that have been repeatedly torn by war and conflict. The organization has long fostered a close relationship with the Eastern Catholic Churches and our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters in these regions.

For nearly 100 years, this organization has established effective structures of assistance on the ground in communities that are often overlooked or avoided by other aid organizations. It is precisely this strong relationship to such local communities and the knowledge of their needs that has made CNEWA such a trusted partner. During the pain of the communist persecution in Eastern Europe and through decades of conflict in the Middle East, CNEWA has brought hope and help to those in need. As they put it themselves: "We have walked side by side with those in need. We have prayed with them when they were attacked, comforted them when they grieved, fed them when they hungered, bandaged them when they bled, sheltered them when they had no place to call home. We have been there, always, through the arms of the living body of Christ, the Church, as they live for others, counseling the despondent, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, teaching the eager and forming the next generation of leaders."
On Monday, Oct. 27, I will be present at St. Theresa's Parish in West Roxbury. At 7 p.m., His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Church and I will preside at Vespers to pray for peace in the world. Afterwards, there will be a light reception and an opportunity to meet the President of CNEWA, Msgr. Peter Vaccari, and learn more about its missions.
With war still raging in Ukraine and Sudan and with a vulnerable attempt at peace between Gaza and Israel, this is a good time for us to seek the intercession of Our Lady for peace in the world, within communities, and in all of our hearts. October is the month of the rosary and a beautiful time to look to Our Lady for her example of discipleship and her prayerful intercession. Under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we recall her presence in that oasis of beauty and peace in the midst of the Holy Land. On a mountain associated with the Prophet Elisha, we recall the gift of her scapular and ask her to enfold the Lord's own homeland with her loving mantle. Under the title of Our Lady of Palestine, we ask her intercession for all those who experience the terrible effects of war. And under the title of Our Lady of Peace, we ask Our Mother to inspire and sustain peacemaking, compassion, and solidarity.
Please remember to pray for peace and for the grace to be those who live in accord with the Lord's command to love as we have been loved. Consider taking up the rosary as a tool that breaks the sword and heals the heart. And if you are able, join me in West Roxbury and learn about the concrete ways that we can respond to the suffering of our brothers and sisters.
(To learn more about CNEWA, go to www.cnewa.org)

- Archbishop Richard G. Henning is the Archbishop of Boston

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