We accompany the local churches
Pius XI founded Catholic Near East Welfare Association to support the Eastern churches in their efforts to serve the world as they witness to and preach the Gospel of Jesus. While our mission has evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of an unstable world, our mandate to walk with and accompany these communities of faith — which date to the time of the apostles — remains the same.
Central to this commitment is our concern for leadership development — especially for those preparing for lives of service as priests, religious sisters and brothers, and as lay catechists and community leaders. Without this commitment to and investment in education, faith formation, understanding of human behavior and psychology, the outreach of the churches for the common good of all would be ineffective and unsustainable.
In addition to investments in community leadership, CNEWA supports bishops, pastors and religious sisters with their outreach efforts. These pastoral works include university chaplaincies, prison ministries, summer Bible camps for youth, and counseling for refugees, migrants and the displaced.
CNEWA’s support of these faith communities also includes grants to make improvements of parish facilities and structures, especially those impacted by violence or natural disasters. These modest works represent an investment in the good health and future of these local churches, so they may bring light to some of the darkest places of the globe, giving life to those living in the shadow of death.