On this World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, we here at CNEWA Canada give thanks for the many women and men who have dedicated their lives entirely to God and, through that commitment, to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
For our donors, benefactors and staff, consecrated life is incredibly personal and certainly not an abstract ideal. Through the prayers and generosity of so many, religious sisters and brothers are able to be present in places marked by war, displacement, poverty and religious persecution.
Many of them are teachers, caregivers, builders and companions who often serving quietly, far from the spotlight, and at the very heart of the Church’s mission.
Across the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe, CNEWA’s partners testify that without religious communities, many essential services would simply not exist. Schools would close, parishes would struggle, and families affected would be left without support. Consecrated women and men choose to stay when circumstances grow difficult, witnessing to hope through steadfast presence.
One such witness is Sister Marie Claude Naddaf, whose vocation has unfolded amidst the ongoing challenges Christians face in the Middle East. Her story, shared with CNEWA Canada during a recent solidarity visit to Lebanon last December, reflects the courage of so many religious women who remain close to their people despite uncertainty and instability. Through pastoral care and daily accompaniment, our team had the chance to hear in Beirut how Sister Marie Claude embodies a consecrated life rooted in trust, a hope-filled reminder that hope often begins simply by refusing to abandon those who suffer.
Did you know? Our global mission has also been shaped by the enduring witness of religious brothers, whose contributions are sometimes less visible but no less transformative. One powerful example is Brother Joseph Loewenstein, F.S.C., a De La Salle Brother featured in CNEWA’s 90 Years, 90 Heroes series. Brother Joseph devoted decades of service to Bethlehem University, helping ensure that young people in the Holy Land could receive an education grounded in faith, dignity and opportunity.
Through leadership, education and unwavering commitment, Brother Joseph’s vocation demonstrates how consecrated life helps sustain Christian presence in regions where it is fragile. His work, supported by CNEWA, continues to bear fruit in the lives of students and families seeking a future rooted in peace.
Together, and through the lives of Sister Marie Claude Naddaf and Brother Joseph Loewenstein, we are shown the breadth of consecrated life: contemplative and active, visible and hidden, always grounded in service. Their witness reflects the impact of a global Church supported by local faithfulness, including here in Canada.
On this World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, CNEWA Canada invites you to pray for all consecrated women and men serving throughout the world. May they be strengthened in their vocations, protected in their ministries, and reminded that we are in communion with them.
With your vitality and the witness of a life where Christ is the centre and the Lord, you can help to “wake up the world.”
Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV in his 2025 address during the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, he reiterated that the Church needs them and the full diversity and richness of the forms of consecrated life and ministry that they represent.
Through prayer and solidarity, we here at CNEWA Canada continue to walk with them in hope and mission as we inspire them to keep “waking up the world.”
If you are able to, please consider a gift to CNEWA Canada so that we may support the many religious who faithfully serve in our projects around the world.