Editors’ Note: Pilgrims of Healing and Hope commemorates the centennial of the founding of CNEWA in 1926 as a papal initiative of healing and hope. From time to time, this series will profile the men and women whose time, treasure, talent — and faith — have brought to life this unique effort of the Holy See. For generations, their generosity in support of the works of the Eastern churches has empowered each community of faith as they strive to follow the lesson of the Good Samaritan to “go and do likewise,” helping to bind the wounds of a broken world.
When members of the Catholic community of Larchmont, New York, invited parishioners to learn more about Catholic Near East Welfare Association, they expected about 30 people.
“We got 64 people,” said Rob Dailey, a member of Sts. John and Paul Church and former commodore of the Larchmont Yacht Club, where the event was held on 30 October.
“I think what sort of floored everyone was the level of engagement of attendees,” said Marcella Smith, another parishioner and one of the event organizers. “We had really thoughtful, engaged questions.”
“It was a powerful group of people in there,” she added.
For many, the main attraction was Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, president of CNEWA and Pontifical Mission for Palestine. For nearly 14 years, until this summer, Msgr. Vaccari celebrated the Sunday 7:30 a.m. Mass at Sts. John and Paul.
At the yacht club, he was joined by Tresool Singh-Conway, CNEWA’s chief financial officer, and Thomas M. Varghese, CNEWA’s director of programs. The three often travel internationally to get a sense of what is happening in the countries the pontifical agency serves. Sometimes, with permission from dioceses and requests from pastors, they travel and speak at parishes, high schools, college campuses, even archdiocesan pastoral centers.
Ms. Smith said people “want to hear from a more trusted source than the news.” Questions she said ranged from the impact of the end of USAID to how CNEWA gets aid into places to why certain wars continue. She added that she saw “a real desire to understand and to be able to trust the source.”
“There are very few trusted means” of finding out what is happening in the world, she said. Mr. Dailey added the organizers expected Msgr. Vaccari to speak for 15-20 minutes, but he got so many questions that the discussion lasted for more than 45 minutes.
“It could have gone longer,” he said. “There’s just real interest in listening to someone who’s out on the frontlines and making assistance available.”
Mrs. Singh-Conway also noticed that people were extremely interested in learning about the mission of CNEWA.
“When I spoke, I shared how a hundred years of service have transformed lives, especially through programs that give girls and women the education, confidence and practical skills to shape their own future,” she said. “What stayed with me was seeing how opportunity, when it’s planted early, doesn’t change one life, it lifts families and strengthens whole communities.”
Msgr. Vaccari noted the organizers were hoping to purchase several tables for Larchmont parishioners at CNEWA’s Healing and Hope Annual Gala Dinner on 15 December, but he knows not every CNEWA supporter can attend an event like that. So, he said he spoke to those present about the three most important things he always emphasizes when he speaks around the country:
“I ask them all to pray for the mission of CNEWA,” he said, adding that “prayer is the most powerful” thing that people can do.
He recalled that during a 2024 visit to Jerusalem for the 75th anniversary of Pontifical Mission for Palestine, the city was hit by a drone attack. Yet, Msgr. Vaccari said the following day he had a lasting image of people “walking the street, just to be able to pray” at Mass.
He said he also asks people “to let CNEWA be a source of information for them … we’ve got people on the ground.” He described how he visits the offices where CNEWA works and each month speaks by Zoom with staffers in those offices.
Msgr. Vaccari said he also is grateful for any financial support that people can give. “People who have deep faith must put that faith into action in some way,” he added.