After months of violence in Gaza and the West Bank, Michael La Civita, director of communications and marketing for Catholic Near East Welfare Association, joined a delegation sponsored by CNEWA that arrived in the Holy Land on 2 September. It was a show of solidarity with Christians in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
The delegation members “encountered a spirited church,” he said.
“We found pastors, compelled by the Gospel, to counter hate with love. We met women and men of faith determined, not despondent, to carry on the work of the church as it witnesses the poor and marginalized,” Mr. La Civita said in an email to America.
As the destruction and violence in Gaza continue, Christians around the world have been a reliable source of relief for the region, Mr. La Civita said.
Members of the delegation included CNEWA President Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari and Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, the vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The delegation attended Masses at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Bethlehem’s Basilica of the Nativity and Nazareth’s Church of the Annunciation, and they met with leaders of the Christian community.
The delegation’s visit was intended as a pastoral visit, Mr. La Civita added, explaining the pontifical agency is always ready to hear about humanitarian needs directly from the people in the affected regions. “Our Jerusalem-based team, which is responsible for our programs in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, does not design responses, but always works with the local church in its many expressions in its response.”
The CNEWA visit was prompted by a letter on 12 August from Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the president of the USCCB, calling for parishes across the country to hold a “special collection to provide humanitarian relief and pastoral support for our affected brothers and sisters in Gaza and surrounding areas in the Middle East.”
The funds from the collection will be directed to CNEWA and Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. church’s international relief and development agency, to support their efforts to aid communities in Gaza. The collection follows multiple calls in recent months from Pope Leo XIV for an end to violence in the region.
In a normal year, the USCCB sponsors one annual collection for humanitarian emergencies around the world. This special collection suggests how serious conditions in Gaza have become, according to Bill O’Keefe, C.R.S. vice president for mission, mobilization and advocacy. “It’s a sign from the bishops of how urgent they see this situation,” Mr. O’Keefe said, “and how important they think supporting the church’s response right now is.”
Troubled by images of the continuing suffering and the famine emergency that has enveloped the people of Gaza, Mr. O’Keefe believes U.S. Catholics are more concerned than ever about the ongoing conflict. He expects a “very generous response.”
Because parishes in different dioceses are scheduling the special collection on different dates, it is still not clear how much money CNEWA and C.R.S. can expect to raise, but Mr. O’Keefe reported that C.R.S. is ready to disburse the additional funding “to provide more food, critically needed hygiene items [and] to provide shelter during this continued displacement.” The organization also plans to use funds to assist recovery efforts for those affected once a ceasefire is achieved.
C.R.S. has been working in Gaza for 50 years and has assisted Holy Family Parish throughout the crisis. The Holy Family compound is the only Catholic presence in Gaza. Hundreds of Gaza Christians have sheltered there since Israel Defense Forces moved into Gaza on 8 October 2023, in response to a Hamas terror attack that killed hundreds in southern Israel. Three people were killed and the church suffered significant damage after Holy Family was shelled by an Israeli tank on 17 July.
Although the special collection for Gaza will provide additional material support, Mr. O’Keefe said other expressions of help from U.S. Catholics remain welcome.
“Pope Leo urged Catholics around the world to pray a lot more,” Mr. O’Keefe said. “I do think we as Catholics need to pray for peace and end [to the conflict].” He added that, when the conflict is over, C.R.S. and CNEWA will have to rely again on the generosity of the U.S. Catholic community for the task ahead.
Mr. La Civita said it is key for Catholics to learn more about the situation in the region from a church perspective, noting the problem of subjective and partisan reporting from other media.
Both Mr. O’Keefe and Mr. La Civita urge U.S. Catholics to let their congressional representatives know about their desire for peace in the Holy Land.
“The bishops’ conference has consistently called for an end to the violence,” Mr. O’Keefe said. “I think Catholics can respond to that call and encourage our elected officials to do everything they can to support peace and an end to the violence and a generous response to the needs of people on the ground.”
“U.S. Catholics need to make their voices heard,” Mr. La Civita said. “Contact your elected officials and urge them to advocate for a just and lasting peace for all peoples.”
This article was original published in America magazine. Republished with permission.