Premiering Thursday, December 16, 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Salt + Light TV and CNEWA Canada Facebook
OTTAWA, December 9, 2021 – On December 16 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) joins forces with Salt + Light Media for a second consecutive year to present Witnesses of Hope: The Greatest of Gifts, a television special to raise funds and awareness for the work of Christians in the Middle East so they can assert their right to live out their mission of charity and Gospel-witness safely and fruitfully in the region.
Produced by the Salt + Light Media team in partnership with CNEWA Canada, this year’s television special will focus on stories of hope from the Holy Land, the very land and region where Jesus walked, preached and ministered. The hour-long program will be hosted by Deacon Pedro Guevara-Mann and Mary Rose Bacani and will include a panel discussion on the reality and challenges that these Christians are facing, musical performances in Arabic, Aramaic and English from a children’s choir from Good Shepherd Chaldean Cathedral in Toronto, and reports and updates from Holy Land Christian communities.
“Peace is not only possible but absolutely necessary if we truly want to build better relations within our families and with our neighbours of different languages, cultures and religions. But we need to put the effort, time and resources into it,” says Carl Hétu, national director for CNEWA Canada. “Canadians have a very passionate heart for those who are suffering and in need of help around the world. This is particularly true of our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, who continue to witness to the greatest of all hopes – the salvation and promises of our Lord. This event, which started off so humbly in 2015, is picking up new supporters each year and, together, whether in person or through this program, there is no limit to the good that we can do. Thank you.”
Moderated by Deacon Pedro, the panel conversation includes Joseph Hazboun, Regional Director of CNEWA in Jerusalem, Tania Awwad, Executive Director of the Greek Catholic Annunciation Society Infant Welfare Center in Jerusalem, and Carl Hétu, National Director, CNEWA Canada.
Watch WITNESSES OF HOPE: The Greatest of all Gifts, Dec. 16, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, on Salt + Light TV and at facebook.com/cnewacanada.
About CNEWA
An agency of the Holy See, CNEWA works for, through and with the Eastern Catholic churches throughout the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe. Founded by Pope Pius XI in 1926, CNEWA provides pastoral and humanitarian support to the churches and people of the East. CNEWA Canada was incorporated as a registered charity by Canada Revenue Agency in 2003. Information at cnewa.ca.
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Media interviews and information:
Tia Giannone
Torchia Communications
514-999-1732
tia@torchiacom.com