This year, Pontifical Mission, founded as Pontifical Mission for Palestine in 1949 and entrusted to CNEWA, marks its 75th anniversary. Commemorations for this papal initiative for the Middle East began with Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan’s visit to Israel and Palestine in April.
The following travel log written by CNEWA’s delegation — Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, president, Tresool Singh-Conway, chief financial officer, and Thomas Varghese, director of programs — highlights the work of Pontifical Mission across Lebanon and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Follow along with the rest of their visit on our blog.
Thursday, 18 July
We arrived in Beirut, at 6:30 a.m., after an early flight from Amman. Michel Constantin, regional director of our office in Beirut, welcomed us at the airport. At 10 a.m., we were received for a press conference at the Catholic Information Center, the location of the media center for the Lebanese episcopal conference. Representatives from the media demonstrated great interest in the reason for our visit — the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Pontifical Mission — especially under the current conditions in the region. We responded to their questions with an overview of our mission and work, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with the press in telling the story.
Our day included visits to two hospitals, including Geitawi Hospital, where our Pontifical Mission team has been on the ground offering assistance prior to, during and after the explosion on 4 August 2020 in the port of Beirut.
We were received by Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, I.C.P.B., of the Armenian Catholic Church. CNEWA and Pontifical Mission have collaborated with projects of Patriarch Minassian over many years.
The evening was reserved for a simple dinner with the Beirut staff. For me, a high priority on all my visits is the expression of solidarity with our very dedicated and most generous staff members. It presents a time for listening to each other, growing in appreciation for the local challenges, and letting them know that they are in my daily prayer.