What a joy it must have been for Cardinal Thomas Collins to welcome to Toronto the Iraqi Christian family he sponsored!
The story, from the Catholic Register:
Though it took a few hours longer than expected, six members of the Makhoo family — Iraqi refugees sponsored by Toronto’s Cardinal Thomas Collins — finally arrived in Canada on 23 May.
It was an emotional reunion as members of the clan already settled in Canada were on hand to greet the family they hadn’t seen in years.
“I was very happy,” said Hayat Shao, mother to the Makhoo family’s patriarch, Jamil. “It was like I owned the whole world when I saw my son coming through the gate.”
It had been 13 years since the mother and son last embraced before their reunion at Pearson International Airport.
Like any Iraqi refugee story, the Makhoo’s is filled with these kind of heart-wrenching anecdotes amid a tale of suffering, displacement and delays.
Like so many, I was waiting for this moment, too. Thanks to Cardinal Collins — a director of CNEWA’s governing board in Canada — for his leadership on this issue. Thanks also to Dr. Martin Mark, who directs the Archdiocese of Toronto’s refugees office, and his team for his diligent efforts to bring so many Iraqi refugees to Canada.
This project has been a great collaboration between CNEWA Canada and the Archdiocese of Toronto, helping to raise awareness of the plight of Iraqi Christians. It certainly highlighted our Catholic Church’s positive role and the many volunteers that put their time and resources to make this happen.
To learn how you can help Iraqi Christians, visit this link.