OTTAWA — Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto and Archbishop Martin William Currie of St. John’s-Grand Falls have accepted an invitation from Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., to join the Board of Trustees of CNEWA Canada. On 23 September, during the annual board meeting of the papal agency, they were officially elected as members.
“I am saddened about what is happening to Iraqi Christians and the suffering of Catholics all over the Middle East,” said Archbishop Collins. “Accepting the invitation to sit on CNEWA Canada’s Board is for me a concrete way to assist them in this trying time.”
“I know firsthand the many challenges facing Christians in the Middle East since I lived in the Holy Land and visited the area again a few years ago,” added Archbishop Currie. “Through CNEWA we are directly in solidarity with them.”
Assisting Archbishop Prendergast, who serves as CNEWA Canada’s chair, are Cardinal Marc Ouellet, S.S.P., vice chair, Archbishop Raymond Roussin, S.M., and Archbishop Lawrence Huculak, O.S.B.M. “With our two new members we now have bishop representation in each region of Canada,” said Archbishop Prendergast.
During the meeting, the board approved a plan to initiate a promotional campaign to rally Catholic Canadians to support Christians in the Middle East, especially displaced Iraqi Christians.
CNEWA is an agency of the Holy See, working for more than 80 years supporting the churches and peoples of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, India and Northeast Africa.