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n this midst of this horrific pandemic, we often refer to our modern-day heroes — from health care workers to unsung volunteers. We have been blessed by their selfless acts of service, surrounded by kindness, compassion and dedication. As a global community, as citizens, and especially here in New York City, we continue to live through the most difficult and challenging reality we have ever faced, the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. In the land of plenty, many of us could never imagine being asked to endure the world we’re facing: quarantine, food shortages, food pantry lines more than a mile long, a record number of our local population now unemployed with little chance of returning to work, business after business closing up for good. The future is uncertain. We are shaken to our core, to our soul. Where do we turn and who will help us to the “other side?” Jesus himself gave us the answer when he told us that he is “the way, the truth and the life.” And so many of those I’ve met have embraced that answer. It has been such a privilege to be in the field with the faithful we serve: those who are poor, suffering, oppressed, hungry. I highlight the word “faithful,” as a good number of those we serve on behalf of our Holy Father and the universal church are men and women of faith. They are as heroic, in their own way, as the modern-day heroes who have given so much to us in this time of turmoil and suffering.
While we are all facing challenges at this time, perhaps a significant difference between ourselves and our suffering family in CNEWA’s world is that their lives have always been in turmoil. Their response is to seek out our Lord, who is very much their way, their truth and their life. And from their abiding faith, which has never been dimmed or extinguished by horrible realities, they manage to keep the flame of hope alive in their hearts. I think those I’ve met have much to teach us all about faith and perseverance, especially now. In this issue of the magazine, you find firsthand testimonies, “voices
p A young girl stands in Rouweissat Jdeidet, a neighborhood of Beirut. t Orthodox Christians, such as this priest in Adigrat are the largest Christian community in Ethiopia.
from the pandemic,” from those suffering through this time in CNEWA’s world. But their resilience and strength are qualities that I witnessed long before this crisis began. Let me share a few vignettes from my own experience. They are unsung heroes of CNEWA’s world. Imagine a garbage dump with trash stacked like a mountain, with trucks ascending higher and higher each day, adding to the garbage — and
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