Welcome!
Msgr. Nevin Klinger, a priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, joined CNEWA’s executive staff in July as assistant secretary general.
A prominent scholar and teacher in the field of canon law, Msgr. Klinger brings extensive and varied experiences to his new role. Before joining CNEWA, Msgr. Klinger served as vice rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum’s School of Theology in Columbus, Ohio, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Birdsboro-Douglassville and as an official of the Holy See’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Msgr. Klinger previously served as diocesan vice chancellor and chancellor.
The CNEWA family welcomes Msgr. Klinger and wishes him great success.
Preparing Knights and Ladies
CNEWA continues its ongoing program to assist in the formation and education of members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, which is commissioned by the Holy See to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land.In October, Msgr. Robert Stern, CNEWA’s secretary general, addressed members of the U.S. Middle Atlantic and Southwestern lieutenancies.
Boston Meeting
On 15 October, Msgr. Stern addressed members of the Boston chapter of Legatus about the precarious situation of Christians in the Holy Land. Msgr. Stern stressed the urgency for American Catholics to assist Christians both in their homelands and in the United States, where tens of thousands of families have immigrated in recent decades.
Legatus is an organization of Catholic business leaders and their spouses who meet on a regular basis to foster personal spiritual growth and to infuse their faith in their daily lives and workplaces.
The meeting, which brought together some 40 members, was hosted by Alfred Lagan, who is an active member of CNEWA’s Development Leadership Council.
The council brings together individuals who commit an exceptional level of financial, personal and professional resources to support the agency’s work.
Parish Outreach
In mid-October, staff members Norma Intriago and Leszek Szymanski visited St. Michael’s parish in St. Michael, Pennsylvania, and the Johnstown campus of the University of Pittsburgh.
As part of CNEWA’s parish outreach initiative, the staff spoke with parishioners about the agency’s work, especially its needy child sponsorship program.
Parish youths learned about the lives of children living in India, the Middle East and Northeast Africa. Catechetical students offered their support and pledged to sponsor eight children, while the entire parish community pledged to support a school.
At the University of Pittsburgh’s Johnstown campus, the CNEWA staffers met with members of the Newman Center, a Catholic student organization, who promised to organize three fund-raising activities in support of the agency’s programs.
CNEWA’s parish outreach initiative aims to raise awareness about the vital work of the agency and to connect those in need with generous sponsors in the United States. For more information on how you or your parish can get involved, please contact CNEWA at 1-800-442-6392.
Aid to Middle East Christians
On 19 October, CNEWA’s national secretary in Canada, Carl Hétu, addressed the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in Cornwall, Ontario. Mr. Hétu spoke about the plight of minorities in Iraq, especially Christians; their search for refuge in regional safe havens; their physical and spiritual needs; the need to facilitate the immigration of Iraqis seeking refuge in Canada; and the plight of Middle East Christians more generally.
Prior to the conference, CNEWA Canada launched a new campaign to assist Middle East Christians. The campaign calls on Canadians to support CNEWA-sponsored activities that sustain the churches of the Middle East, to contact their dioceses to find out how they can help resettle Iraqi Christian refugees in Canada and to see first-hand the Christian communities in the Middle East.
“The Iraqi Christian refugee crisis is not isolated, but a part of a larger picture in which Christians all over the Middle East face an uncertain future,” said Mr. Hétu.
Adieu!
After more than 24 years of dedicated service to CNEWA, Brother David Carroll, F.S.C., retired on 28 February.
A prominent scholar, teacher and writer in the fields of Middle East religions and politics as well as physics and computer science, Brother David has played a pivotal role at CNEWA, most recently as under secretary general. He assisted in its leadership; helped develop its charism; fine-tuned sophisticated administrative systems; and raised the agency’s profile, both locally and internationally.
Brother David also served as co-chair of the Islamic/Catholic Dialogue of the Archdiocese of New York and as advisor on Middle East issues to the Holy See’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
The CNEWA family wishes Brother David a happy and productive retirement.