Catholic Near East Welfare Association’s third annual Healing & Hope Gala on Monday, 9 December, commemorated the 75th anniversary of Pontifical Mission, CNEWA’s operating agency in the Middle East.
To highlight the work of Pontifical Mission, CNEWA premiered a video on its 75 years of service in the Middle East.
Also, in honor of this anniversary, the agency promoted its emergency relief work in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. A CNEWA video shared the stories of children in Gaza who, through their participation in a CNEWA-Pontifical trauma and counseling program, opened up about their experience of living in war.
A matching gift of $25,000 for emergency relief in the Middle East set the fundraising goal for the evening, which was exceeded thanks to donations night-of and in the days immediately after.
“It’s very important that we support the work CNEWA and Pontifical Mission started 100 years ago and the other 75 years ago to make possible for the Christians of the region to continue to stay in that region — the region where our roots are,” said Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, who was recognized as guest of honor at the gala.
“For the arrival of the Messiah, we ask, please, that your peace and your mercy, your consolation would come upon that soil upon which the Messiah walked and upon those lands,” said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and chair of CNEWA’s board, in an opening prayer.
“Those lands where his earliest followers went to establish the church in the most ancient of settings; those Christians who suffer war, attack, violence, uncertainty; those people in Israel and Gaza who daily have to dodge bombs and hope for the best.”
CNEWA presented its Faith & Culture Award to Gayle M. Benson, a prominent philanthropist and the owner of the New Orleans Saints and governor of the New Orleans Pelicans, for her unwavering commitment to her Catholic faith and her outstanding contributions to the promotion of human dignity.
The Faith & Culture Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts to uphold and promote the values of faith, culture and human dignity.
Previous recipients of the award include Carl A. Anderson (2022), past supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus; the Most Rev. William F. Murphy (2023), bishop emeritus of Rockville Centre; John J. Studzinski (2023), anti-trafficking advocate; and Metropolitan Borys Gudziak (2024) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
Support CNEWA-Pontifical Mission’s emergency relief in the Middle East.