ONE Magazine June 2022

one

June 2022

God • World • Human Family • Church

Ukraine:

Standing Tall Meeting health needs in Iraq Providing hope for Syria’s children Forming men of service in Egypt

one COVER STORY

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Drops, Turns, Dips and Climbs A pastoral visit to Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine

by Michael J.L. La Civita

FEATURES

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Healing Families Devastated by War text by Arzé Khodr with photographs by Raghida Skaff

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Uprooted, Transplanted and Treated With Care Healing a community once in flight text by Alicia Medina with photographs by Chris Trinh

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A Letter From Iraq

by Archimandrite Emanuel Youkhana

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Carta Desde Irak Por Archimandrita Emanuel Youkhana

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Following the Good Shepherd Forming men to be at the service of others text by Magdy Samaan with photographs by Hanaa Habib

DEPARTMENTS

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Connections to CNEWA’s world The Last Word: Perspectives From the President

by Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari

t A member of the Assyrian Mar Narsai Church choir in Duhok, Iraqi Kurdistan.

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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION

Volume 48 NUMBER 2

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Making plans for the summer?

Plan to give hope A bequest is a simple way to make a huge impact, helping us to 6 Front: A Ukrainian refugee during a prayer service at the Greek Catholic cathedral in Kosice, Slovakia, on 30 April.

Back: The Catholic community in Damascus on Holy Thursday outside the Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition.

28, 30 ONE is published quarterly. ISSN: 1552-2016 CNEWA Founded by the Holy Father, CNEWA shares the love of Christ with the churches and peoples of the East, working for, through and with the Eastern Catholic churches.

Photo Credits Front cover, pages 3 (upper left), 14, 16 (upper left and lower right), Craig Ruttle; pages 2, 3 (lower right and far right), 20-28, Chris Trinh; page 3 (top), CNS photo/Paul Haring; pages 3 (upper right), 32-35, 37-39, Hanaa Habib; pages 3 (lower left), 6-13, back cover, Raghida Skaff; pages 4 (top), 5, 16 (upper right and lower left), 17, 18, 19, Michael J.L. La Civita; page 4 (bottom), CNEWA-PM; page 29, Paul Jeffrey; page 41, CNS photo/ Alexander Ermochenko, Reuters.

CNEWA connects you to your brothers and sisters in need. Together, we build up the church, affirm human dignity, alleviate poverty, encourage dialogue — and inspire hope.

Publisher Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari

©2022 Catholic Near East Welfare Association.

All rights reserved. Member of the Catholic Media Association of the United States and Canada.

Editorial Staff Paul Grillo Laura Ieraci Michael J.L. La Civita Elias Mallon, S.A., Ph.D. Timothy McCarthy

Officers Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Chair and Treasurer Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, Secretary Editorial Office 1011 First Avenue, New York, NY 10022-4195 1-212-826-1480; www.cnewa.org

Build up the church Affirm human dignity Alleviate poverty Encourage dialogue Make this summer a season of promise and possibility A bequest also has tax benefits Contact us today to learn more: 1-866-322-4441 (Canada) 1-800-442-6392 (United States) Or email us at cnewa@cnewa.org cnewa.giftplans.org

Connections to CNEWA’s world Supporting Humanitarian Efforts in Ukraine CNEWA has supported the people of Ukraine since its beginning, rushing emergency aid to Ukrainian refugees fleeing war and famine for safety in Istanbul and Central Europe in the 1920s, and later supporting the leadership of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in exile. CNEWA continues its support, sending funds for humanitarian efforts since war began in 2014 in eastern Ukraine, but at a much higher volume since Russia launched its invasion on 24 February. As of late May, CNEWA has released emergency funds totaling more than $2.7 million — including funds from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic eparchies in Canada and the Koch Foundation — to support the relief works of the local churches in Ukraine and surrounding countries.

The funds were released in five disbursements: $197,500 at the end of January; $217,000 on 11 March; $650,000 on 22 March; $800,000 on 20 April; and $850,000 on 27 May. Beneficiaries included the curia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Ukrainian Catholic University; Sheptytsky Hospital in Lviv; Caritas in Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine; the Mercy Centers of the Knights of Columbus; the Sisters, Servants of Mary Immaculate; and various eparchies and other institutions in Ukraine, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, as CNEWA’s chair, and Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, CNEWA president, led a delegation to Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia, extending the support and concern of the church in North America to the internally displaced, refugees and their caregivers. The pastoral visit, a feature of which begins on page 14, also raised consciousness of the

Funding for Lebanon CNEWA has received four grants from three funding partners, totaling $1,859,000, to support Lebanon’s ailing Catholic health care centers and schools.

The Holy Land Christians Society, thanks to a gift from one of its members, provided CNEWA with $925,000 to support five Catholic hospitals. Combined with a grant of $300,000 from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, salaries for 1,093 doctors and nurses over a

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Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari meets Tomasz Adamski of the Knights of Columbus at the Mercy Center in Hrebenne, Poland, a few miles from the Ukrainian border, on 2 May. The center provides Ukrainian refugees emergency aid and a chapel for prayer. plight of women and children, who make up about 90 percent of those in flight.

To learn more about what you can do to help, visit: cnewa.org/more-ways-to-help.

12-month period will be covered at Geitaoui Hospital and Rosary Sisters Hospital in Beirut; St. Joseph Hospital in Dora; Tel Chiha Hospital in Zahleh; and Bhannes Medical Center in Dahr el Sawan.

Message de Paix, a rehabilitation center for people with special needs, received an $84,000 CNEWA grant, thanks to the same anonymous benefactor, to develop a garden that will provide the center’s kitchen with produce and

its clients with job training and employment.

The MCN Build Foundation granted $550,000 for the operational costs of 14 Catholic schools in Lebanon.

Education and Opportunities for Lebanon (EOL), a volunteer outreach established by Kathy Feghali, introduced MCN Build’s founder, Rudy Seikaly, to CNEWA. EOL directs all of its support through CNEWA, having forged a long-term partnership to bolster Lebanon’s Catholic schools.

Monthly Webinars Begin CNEWA is launching a new series of monthly webinars with live updates from CNEWA’s world, hosted by President Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari. The webinars are intended for donors and friends of CNEWA to learn more about the mission and work of this papal agency. The series, called “Connections With Msgr.

Peter,” will kick off on 8 June at 12 p.m. EDT, live from the Holy Land. To participate, call (800) 4426392 or send an email to info@ cnewa.org.

Praying for CNEWA’s World Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari is also taking CNEWA’s message and mission on the road this spring and summer.

The first in-person “Gathering in Hope” event was held at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York, on 12 May. He shared takeaways from his recent pastoral visit to Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia, as well as updates on CNEWA’s support of the pastoral and humanitarian works of the church in the rest of Eastern Europe, Northeast Africa, India and the Middle East. For the developing schedule of events, visit cnewa.org.

The crew at Catholic Faith Network in their New York studio records the first episode of ONE-to-ONE, a new television program to launch this summer on the work carried out by the church in the countries where CNEWA works.

ONE on Television In conjunction with the Catholic Faith Network, CNEWA is coproducing ONE-to-ONE, a news magazine television program on CNEWA’s mission. The program features men and women — all motivated by the Gospel — at work in some of the most difficult regions of the world. Regardless of the challenges that may seem overwhelming, these ordinary people do extraordinary things, thanks to their faith and the generosity of people like you.

The television program builds on the award-winning journalism of CNEWA’s ONE magazine, and will be livestreamed at www. catholicfaithnetwork.org, available on CNEWA’s website and syndicated on Catholic channels across North America. At the time of publication, the pilot was in post-production.

Check our website and social media for the date and broadcast time of our premiere episode.

It’s ONE to one!

There is even more on the web

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Visit cnewa.org for regular updates And find videos, stories from the field

and breaking news at cnewa.org/blog

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lossoming orange trees spread their sweetened scent of spring in Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Sitting in the courtyard of an old house, Sister Insaf Shahine of the Congregation of Religious of Jesus and Mary speaks of art and music and their ability to soothe and heal.

“One day I attended a conference about healing through music,” she says. “I fell in love with the idea. We were coming out of a 10-year war, every one of us had a wound in our heart and soul.

“When God shed light this way, I thought, ‘Why not? Music is educational, which is related directly to our mission.’ I told the superior and the sisters and, with the help of many, the Blessed Dina Bélanger Center for Music and Art became a reality.”

The center, named for a Canadian member of the congregation who died in 1929, welcomes children from the ages of 7 to 14. In the past year and a half, it has offered drawing and music classes to about 200 children; 75 percent of them attend the courses for free. Parents Sister Jihane Atallah poses with students during a French class at Al Riaya School, run by the Sisters of Charity of Besançon in Damascus.

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RESPONDING TO HUMAN NEEDS

Healing Families Devastated by War text by Arzé Khodr with photographs by Raghida Skaff

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“It’s true we are suffering, living in uncertainty. But God is alive, he’s with us and things will get better.”

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The

CNEWA Connection

At left, girls walk through the streets of Damascus. At right, women religious attend the Holy Thursday celebration at the Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition in Damascus with Patriarch Youssef Absi.

who can afford it contribute a nominal fee. The instructors, most of them young graduates, also receive nominal remuneration.

“They want to be part of people’s joy,” says Sister Insaf about the young instructors.

And indeed, there is a lot of joy at the center. Children come running to drawing classes. Parents wait in the courtyard, taking a break from their daily obligations, sharing the burdens of a life that has become harder each day. Syria is in the midst of an unprecedented economic collapse that has plunged 85 percent of the population into poverty.

Parents do not hesitate to express how much the center has affected their children’s lives positively and they are very proud of what their children are learning.

“We haven’t seen a smile this big on our children’s faces in 10 years,” they have told Sister Insaf after a festival the center organized last summer.

“My daughter always loved drawing and here she has found the place to develop her talent,” says Raneem’s mother, asking her daughter to show her latest artwork.

Wissam, 13, talks about how playing the oud, a pear-shaped string instrument, similar to a lute, has helped him to overcome the fear he felt constantly during the war.

However, the center faces a major challenge; funding sources are scarce. The staff is worried, but Sister Insaf is not. She has “many dreams.” She is confident there will be new donors and she happily announces that a friend of the center has offered to form and conduct a children’s choir.

Reports and pictures of the work of the church in Syria have been scarce since war broke out in 2011. Yet, quietly and continually, the people of God there have reached beyond their own needs to tend to those of others. CNEWA, through its Pontifical Mission office, has been a mainstay, providing the local churches, as featured in this article, with resources to feed, shelter and provide simple health care for the most vulnerable. The church, through its members, offers comfort and hope for the future, assuring the people that even if it seems the world may have forgotten them in their suffering, God has not.

Support CNEWA’s vital work of the church in Syria. Call 1-866-322-4441 (Canada) or 1-800-442-6392 (United States).

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ister Manal Choucair, also of the Religious of Jesus and Mary, talks about her dreams for her catechetical mission in Maarouneh, a village in the countryside outside Damascus.

“There are 190 children who attend catechism there,” she says, her smile lighting up the room.

“We have five classes. We use a building owned by the church. I am in charge of training the teachers and I accompany the children preparing for their first Communion.

I am proud of everything we do, even though our means are very basic. I would love for us to have more study aids, teaching material and an audiovisual room.”

Sister Manal speaks passionately about the children of Maarouneh.

“I would like for them to widen their horizons, to meet people from

other regions,” she says. “We are planning a summer camp for them.

We asked for funds and hopefully the camp will take place.”

With the same dedication, Sister Antoinette Wakin talks about the challenges facing her fellow citizens and the help her community of sisters tries to offer.

“This year was very hard on people,” she says. “They are in great need of everything. We are unable to answer all the demands. We help with food baskets, shoes and clothes when available, but there are not enough funds.”

Rania, a mother of two, found herself in an empty new apartment during last winter’s harsh weather.

With help from Sister Antoinette, she was able to buy two mattresses and a heater. She still has no fridge.

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“We offer everything with love in order to give joy to the children, especially in these hard times.”

“We need prayer, we need help,” says Sister Antoinette, “at least to meet the basic needs of people, to help them live with dignity.”

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ignity is a recurring word when Syrians are asked about their lives and how life has changed since the war began in March 2011.

“I miss dignity,” says Nadia, her eyes filling instantly with tears, her real name withheld to protect her privacy. “Even if we work a million hours, the salary won’t last more than two days. We had to sell

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jewelry, furniture, the washing machine, the television. We sold almost everything.”

Her husband was diagnosed with cancer and is unable to work. She wanted to remove their three children from Al Riaya School, administered by the Sisters of Charity of Besançon, but Sister Jihane Atallah, who heads the school, convinced her otherwise.

“The school has existed in Syria since 1925,” says Sister Jihane. “The children’s education is a priority for parents. They should at least feel

that the church stands by them in this concern.”

Therefore, the school adopted a policy that children with cancer or who have a parent suffering from cancer or whose father has died receive full tuition support.

In Syria’s collapsing post-war economy, the state is unable to provide suitable medical assistance and families are spending what they have on treatment.

There are currently 1,439 students at Al Riaya. In 2012, because of war, the staff and students were

forced to evacuate the premises and reorganize, holding classes elsewhere so the educational mission could continue. In 2021, the school returned to its original building, which is still under reconstruction.

In a country suffering from severe power cuts, reconstruction is another challenge. Last year, Sister Jihane decided to wire the school to “a golden line” — an expensive power line — which has been a great benefit to students and teachers.

“Last winter, there was almost no electricity at all in our homes,” says Sister Jihane. “It was dark and cold. The children were delighted to find heating and light at school.

“We also bought two washing machines and a dryer, so teachers could do their laundry here. Now we are installing solar panels for sustainability,” she adds.

“I am very grateful to everyone who is helping, especially those who live abroad,” Sister Jihane emphasizes. “We face suffering every day. But [our donors] don’t witness what we are witnessing, and still they give freely. I am truly very grateful.”

With a similar organizational approach and deep faith that God will always provide, Besançon Sister Joseph-Marie Shanaa describes how she coordinates activities with a network of 20 volunteers.

“In our group, there are priests, nuns and lay people, among them, three doctors.

We collaborate with three organizations, including CNEWA,” she explains. “With the help of CNEWA, we currently provide milk on a monthly basis for 450 children. We also received support for our catechetical centers.

Far left: A young girl at the Blessed Dina Bélanger Center for Music and Art in Damascus shows her art instructor her drawing. Middle: Rachelle Naser and her blind mother, Raghida, participate in the Family Support Project in Dwel’a, Syria, where Rachelle says she learned to care for her mom. Above, Lama Salloum (in blue shirt), program coordinator for the Family Support Project, poses with colleagues.

They are now equipped with a video projector, laptops and a printer.

“We were able to support a summer camp and teacher trainings,” she continues. “On Christmas, we distributed 350 food baskets and clothes for children.”

The three doctors care for 400 patients with cancer or chronic diseases and provide them with

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“We need prayer, we need help, at least to meet the basic needs of people, to help them live with dignity.”

Above, Sister Joseph-Marie Shanaa of the Sisters of Charity of Besançon speaks with children in Damascus, whose family receives food, milk and rent assistance through a CNEWA-sponsored program.

medication. Cancer patients receive funds quarterly for medical tests.

The group also helps 550 university students and 650 families with rent.

With the dramatic depreciation of the Syrian currency, rents tripled within a short period of time, while salaries remained unchanged. Many

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families face the threat of being on the street.

Sister Joseph-Marie works closely with Father Imad Shalash, a Melkite Greek Catholic priest, who knows well the families in need in the impoverished Dwel’a neighborhood.

Many of these families have six or seven children and often both parents are unemployed.

“The challenges we face are huge,” says Sister Joseph-Marie. “On a material level, we need all the support we can get, especially for the families with children. On a

moral level, we try lifting people’s spirits.

“It’s true we are suffering, living in uncertainty. But God is alive,” she continues. “He’s with us and things will get better.

“I always urge people to pray,” she adds. “Prayer gives strength and a positive outlook on life.”

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aith and hope are at the heart of the work of Sister Georgina Habash of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd.

“I hope children and young people will find once again reasons to want to stay in the country,” she says. “We were here during war.

God gave us strength, and I hope we will continue to stand by our people.”

Her congregation has deep roots in the community.

“We are here to welcome people, to listen to them and to help them in all the ways we can,” she adds.

In 2006, the Good Shepherd Sisters founded a shelter for young girls and women who suffer from exploitation and domestic violence.

It is open to all women in distress without any distinction of nationality or religion. The shelter can host up to 14 women, sometimes with their children. A team of professionals helps them overcome their challenges and find work. The team continues to follow up with them even after they leave.

The sisters also initiated The Trust Line, which offers individual psychological support over the phone through a hotline as well as in-person, one-on-one counseling.

A team of professional psychologists is always available to welcome couples, individuals or even children.

With the war, the need for psychological support grew stronger and the sisters also established the Family Support Project in Dwel’a. The program’s first aim is to offer the child and his or her family psychological and social support.

During a six-month period, 140 children and their parents — mainly mothers — participated in the program, which helped them explore crucial aspects of their social interactions.

In a neighborhood hit heavily during the war, one that hosts a significant number of displaced families, the project proved to be successful.

Accompanied by a dedicated team of psychologists and animators,

children and parents experienced, in some cases, dramatic change.

Norma speaks with gratitude about the progress made by her 10-year-old son, Eid. “When he was a year and a half, he was starting to talk, but war terrorized him and he started having speech difficulties. He stammered,” she explains. “This affected his studies, his relationship with his friends. He was very shy because everyone laughed when he talked.

After he participated in the program, there was a significant improvement in his behavior and speech.”

Norma and her husband were also invited to attend individual sessions as part of the process.

Lama Salloum, program coordinator, recalls another success story. When Jihad, an 11-year-old boy, first came to the center, he did not speak at all, not a single word.

He was unable to play with other children or look them in the eye.

He enrolled in the program for 12 consecutive months and the changes were tremendous. He finished having learned how to communicate and play with other children.

In these days, when a severe economic crisis is taking its toll on families, and anger and lack of communication seem to be common problems, parents who participated in the Family Support Project say they have gained much from the sessions.

“This center is necessary,” says psychologist Maya Bechara. “We all need psychosocial support, and especially children.

“The Good Shepherd Sisters’ motto is: ‘With love nothing is impossible.’ And that’s what we do. We offer everything with love in order to give joy to the children, especially in these hard times.”

Arzé Khodr is a freelance writer and playwright, based in Beirut.

Give hope to children who have known only war cnewa.org I cnewa.ca

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Catch a glimpse of life in Syria after 11 years of war in an exclusive video at

cnewa.org/one

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Drops, Turns, Dips and Climbs Highlights From a Pastoral Visit to Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine

by Michael J.L. La Civita

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rom 29 April through 3 May, I accompanied a North American delegation on a pastoral visit to meet displaced Ukrainians, hear their stories, stand in solidarity with them, and give witness to the tremendous support of the local Polish and Slovak communities — particularly through their respective churches and organizations — in providing Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan receives a traditional welcome that includes, bread, salt and flowers at the Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Kosice, Slovakia, after a prayer service with Ukrainian refugees.

support for the body, mind and spirit of the Ukrainian people.

The chair of Catholic Near East Welfare Association, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, led the delegation that included CNEWA President Msgr.

Peter I. Vaccari, Bishop John Bonnici of Aid to the Church in Need and Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New York.

The team wasted no time. No sooner had Cardinal Dolan landed in Krakow than we were off to the village of Bibice, a bucolic community nestled in the rolling countryside just outside the ancient Polish capital. There, along the steps of the parish church dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a throng of parishioners, displaced Ukrainian families cared for by the parish, and a mass of press from Poland, Rome and the United States rushed to greet the cardinal. No stranger to the press, who clearly appreciate the “good copy” and the high energy of the gregarious American prelate, the cardinal immediately took the opportunity to spell out why we were there.

With his arm wrapped around the neck of the parish priest, he outlined the objectives: • Demonstrate solidarity with the Ukrainian people displaced by a military onslaught that has targeted not only military infrastructure, but civilians and their villages, homes, churches, places of refuge — even hospitals.

• Show gratitude to and solidarity with the caregivers, the faithful, priests and religious who have opened their homes and churches, giving refuge to those in flight.

• Express support for the leadership of the local churches, Greek and Roman Catholic, who have spearheaded these initiatives, and join together in prayer, asking God for mercy, forgiveness and peace.

• Assert the Christian commitment to support all those devastated by the evils of war and to raise awareness of the human cost of this unprovoked aggression.

And then, as fast as the impromptu press conference began, it ended, with the leaders of the community, Polish and Ukrainian, welcoming the cardinal and his delegation with the customary bread and salt.

Somehow in the whirl of the moment, hymns to Our Lady were sung, messages of welcome and gratitude were exchanged, and the people told their stories. They communicated their stories not with words — a huge spread of Ukrainian delights was pressed upon us to eat instead — but through their eyes.

And their eyes revealed grief, exhaustion, sadness, gratitude and — when embraced by a man whose own instincts are to hold close in the crook of his arm those who have lost so much — healing and even glimmers of hope.

Like the plates piled with stuffed mushrooms and pierogi, the visit to Bibice was an appetizer for what would soon unfold.

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riving south, the beauty of southern Poland’s countryside soon gave way to the stunning vistas of the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, carpeted with pine and birch.

Dotting the views were roadside shrines, simple stucco Roman Catholic churches and, more rarely,

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EMERGENCY RELIEF

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ver since I was five, when turned away in tears from riding the Blue Streak in Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, I have had an obsession with “woodies,” the classic roller coasters of lore. Growing up in the Mon Valley just east of Pittsburgh, that fixation was satisfied by my parents — who understood and shared in my love for the thrills, architectural beauty and engineering might of these amusements — and the classic coasters of the nearby Kennywood and West View parks.

Even now, as a middle-aged man whose enthusiasm for coasters has not waned, nothing prepared me for the one I rode through Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine earlier this spring. A word of caution, however.

This was no thrill ride. Rather it was a grueling journey, one that paled in comparison to the journey millions of Ukrainians have had to make since the Russian military invaded their country on 24 February, forcing them to abandon their homes — and usually their spouses — for safety under foreign skies.

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The

CNEWA Connection

At left, clockwise, from top left: Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan joins a Ukrainian boy in coloring at a day care area at the train station in Kosice, Slovakia; Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari is interviewed by the press in Hrebenne, Poland; the Leshenka children comfort each other in the Greek Catholic cathedral in Kosice as their mother speaks about how they fled Kyiv; artwork by Ukrainian refugee children. At right: Cardinal Dolan speaks with Ukrainian refugees at a Caritas center in Krakow.

the wooden churches of the Greek Catholics, who were for centuries the woodlanders and shepherds of the area. The picturesque landscape, however, belied the violent tragedy on the other side of the mountains in Ukraine.

We reached the toylike town of Kosice, for centuries a German- and Hungarian-populated stronghold in southeastern Slovakia, just miles from the border with Ukraine.

Reaching the Greek Catholic cathedral, a simple neo-classical structure in white and gold, we were received by the curia of the eparchy, led by Archbishop Cyril Vasil, S.J., a good friend of CNEWA who formerly served the Holy See’s Congregation for Eastern Churches as secretary.

Entering the church, we were greeted with the sounds of bells on a swinging thurible and plainsong chants. Incense honeyed the air as Father Emanuel — a Ukrainian Studite monk who had served Iraqi Christian refugees in Athens — intoned the prayers for peace: “For peace in the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.”

As the liturgy concluded, the monk invited a few women to gather near the gilded screen of icons that enshrined the sanctuary.

Gently, he encouraged them to tell us how they reached Kosice. As each woman narrated her story, her

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. To date, the UNHCR has estimated more than 7 million people have been displaced within Ukraine and more than 6 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Of these 13 million who have fled their homes, 90 percent are women and children, representing more than a quarter of the country’s population. In the midst of this crisis, CNEWA is there, rushing support to the faithful, religious, priests and bishops as they tend to people in their needs.

To contribute to CNEWA’s emergency appeal for Ukraine, call 1-866-322-4441 (Canada) or 1-800-442-6392 (United States).

children would gather around her offering support, their faces devoid of emotion.

“The skies lit up at night with explosions.” “Bombs fell around us.” “I had to leave my husband and parents behind.” “We brought only our toothbrushes, coats and cell phones.” “I have no news from home.”

As the women spoke of places once unfamiliar to those of us from North America — Bucha, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Mariupol — the congregation fell still, as the horrors of the military onslaught devastating their homes near Kyiv and farther east and south became more immediate. We heard how they found solace in their churches, how they prayed for help and how in these sacred spaces they decided to find sanctuary beyond the Carpathians.

Cardinal Dolan, with the children now gathered around him as if he were St. Nick, thanked them all for sharing their anguished accounts, for their courage, determination and love for their families. He thanked them for their faith and for sharing that faith with us. He told them he loved them, as Jesus loves his sheep.

And he asked about their husbands, for their fathers and brothers — about 90 percent of Ukrainians seeking refuge outside their homeland are women and children.

“He is fighting,” said one woman.

“He is caring for our parents,” said another. One woman said nothing, her silence deafening.

The gathering ended with the community, for that is what the gathering had become, singing a hymn, as large icons of Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Nicholas and the angels kept watch.

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When will this madness end? Only God knows.

As the psalmist writes, “Hasten to answer me, Lord; for my spirit fails me.”

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e arrived in the historic city of Przemysl in the southeastern corner of Poland on May Day, a national holiday. Families strolled through its lovely streets, enjoying the fair spring weather. We arrived at the city’s train station, joined by the Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Greek Catholic archbishops, who offered to host us for a quick luncheon at a café operated by Caritas before a scheduled prayer service at the Greek Catholic cathedral. The leading clerics of the city had pooled their funds,

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including donations from CNEWA, and empowered Caritas to lead their humanitarian efforts on behalf of the refugees.

No sooner had our soup been served than word reached us that the train from Kyiv was pulling in — Przemysl is the first stop in Poland for trains arriving from Ukraine. Utensils were dropped and the archbishops led us immediately to the arrivals platform.

There, as the full train emptied its war-wearied passengers, we watched the church spring into action. The archbishops invited the

cardinal, Msgr. Vaccari and the rest of the team to join Caritas as their social workers and volunteers managed the refugees with dignity, warmth and care, offering referrals for housing assistance, food, clothing, personal kits and travel to other destinations in Poland.

Telephone company personnel offered free SIM cards and phone charging opportunities. All were present with the women and children who had just crossed a Rubicon of sorts.

Later, after participating in a Moleben During Time of War at

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan interviews a student of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.

the packed 17th-century cathedral dedicated to St. John the Baptist, Cardinal Dolan spoke movingly about the unexpected: “What gets me though … is the sense of normalcy here. It’s like the people haven’t panicked. They’re not frantic. They’re kinda just coming together in serenity and trust in helping one another. It’s so well oiled. So many volunteers — especially young people — everything seems to be coordinated, all to help these refugees.

“I’ve just been amazed, and inspired.”

T

hat night, after sharing a meal with the leadership, staff and students of the Roman Catholic archdiocesan seminary, we traveled under the cover of darkness across the border into Ukraine. Our destination: the city of Lviv, lovingly described by Ukrainians as the “soul of Ukraine.”

We arrived to find the nation’s soul shrouded in darkness and sandbags.

Storefronts were boarded up and a strict curfew was in force.

I had last seen Lviv in late January 2020 for the feast of Theophany, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the globe.

The city was alive. Churches were packed with worshipers. Christmas markets lined the squares and plaza near the opera house. The mood — even well after midnight — was ebullient, even as war against Russian-allied separatists persisted in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Long a center of Ukrainian national consciousness and identity, Lviv exemplified the promise of a new Ukraine — young, modern, open to the West yet proudly anchored in ancient Rus and its Eastern Christian roots.

It is clear this idea of a modern Ukraine is what Russia’s leaders fear, and has now waged war against, as much as it is their coveting of Ukraine’s ports, land and resources.

After an eerily quiet night, the delegation visited displaced families seeking refuge in the facilities of the Roman Catholic Church in Lviv, led by Polish-born Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki.

While Cardinal Dolan and Msgr.

Vaccari visited families emotionally scarred by the violence (one adult male had not uttered a word since the Russian invasion on 24 February, said his elderly mother), I found myself trapped in a crayon world. Brightly colored pictures of missiles and rainbows, fire and sunflowers were taped to the doors of a cafeteria, conflicting images of a world of war and peace, drawn by children forced to flee their homes and precociously aware of the horrors of a world gone mad.

Bright colors notwithstanding, these were painful pictures to behold and remain troubling still.

When will this madness end?

Only God knows. As the psalmist writes, “Hasten to answer me, Lord; for my spirit fails me” (Ps 143:7).

Yet until love valiantly extinguishes hate, looking at the determination and resolve of the Ukrainian people helps counter the danger of despair.

“I thought I would come to Ukraine and see a great oppression, depression,” said Cardinal Dolan during our visit to Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.

“Yes, I see sadness and pain because of the war, and I am oppressed by it, but I am captivated by the vitality, hope and solidarity of the Ukrainians.”

I could not have said it better.

Michael J.L. La Civita is CNEWA’s director of communications.

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With Care

How a church-run clinic is healing a community once in flight text by Alicia Medina with photographs by Chris Trinh

The drum dome of the Assyrian Mar Narsai Church is distinct in Duhok’s skyline in Iraqi Kurdistan.

RESPONDING TO HUMAN NEEDS

Uprooted, Transplanted and Treated

O

n a quiet April afternoon, Dunia waits her turn at the Mar Narsai dispensary in Duhok, a bustling city in the northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan.

She carries her newborn twins: Yazin and Layan are falling asleep as they feed on their bottles.

The 24-year-old mother traveled from Mosul for a check-up appointment with Dr. Adeba Jassim Mahmoud, a pediatrician at the clinic.

“We came here because Adeba specializes in children, and these are my first babies,” Dunia explains.

It is the first time Dunia has visited this dispensary, but her bond with Dr. Jassim goes deep.

Dr. Muna Ghanim Majeed Shaya, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Mar Narsai health dispensary in Duhok, takes medical notes during a consultation with a patient.

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More than two decades ago, a sick newborn arrived at the pediatric hospital in Mosul, where Dr. Jassim worked at the time.

“I remember that baby, his skin was blueish,” Dr. Jassim says.

“I treated him with my own hands in the emergency room, and five days later he was stable and left the hospital.”

That baby grew up into a healthy man and later married Dunia, fathering the twins Dunia holds delicately in the dispensary’s waiting room.

Furthermore, Dunia and Dr. Jassim are both from Mosul, which they fled in 2014, when ISIS, known as Daesh in Arabic, imposed a reign of terror in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

“The day Daesh entered Mosul, it was a Thursday,” recalls Dr. Jassim.

“I heard the news that Mosul had fallen while I was on my shift at the hospital. I fled the same day.”

Dunia and Dr. Jassim found safety in Duhok. When Mosul was liberated in 2018, Dunia returned.

Dr. Jassim did not.

The origin of this new dispensary is tied to the displacement of Dunia and Dr. Jassim. As ISIS terrorized Iraq with mass murder, slavery, public executions and sexual violence, six million Iraqis were forced out of their homes.

Duhok welcomed 25,000 people, among them Dunia and the doctor.

To answer the health care needs of the displaced in Duhok, a priest of the Church of the East ceded his office to a couple of doctors — and that was the seed of today’s twofloor clinic.

F of

ather Philipos Dawood Philips leads the liturgy on Palm Sunday for dozens parishioners at Mar Narsai

Church. Incense and a choral melody fill the air. Children play in the blossoming garden of the parish church tucked into a lively neighborhood of Duhok, a city surrounded by steep mountains. It is a day full of smiles. But, in 2014, this parish served as an improvised center to attend to thousands of people escaping ISIS and its atrocities.

Iraq’s multitude of religious and ethnic minorities, including Christians, Yazidis, Turkmens, Shabak, Kaka’i, Mandaeans, Kurds, Shi’a, as well as many Arabs and Sunni Muslims, were targeted by the terrorist group.

“The year 2014 was horrible,” says Father Philipos. “We saw attacks on the Christians in Mosul, the Nineveh Plain, Basra and Baghdad. There were attacks in churches and kidnappings of clergymen.”

During the years of ISIS control, between 2014 and 2018, nearly 71,000 civilian deaths were recorded.

To assist in the humanitarian crisis, seven churches in Duhok, representing the Armenian, Assyrian, Chaldean and Syriac Catholic and Orthodox communities, created a council to determine the needs of the internally displaced.

Father Philipos presided over the council and his son Father Aphram coordinated the distribution of food and other relief items.

“We helped more than 6,000 families, the majority from Mosul and the Nineveh Plain. They were hosted in churches and houses in 82 villages,” explains Father Aphram in a phone interview from Sweden, where he was assigned recently.

A few weeks into the massive displacement, two doctors warned Father Philipos about the urgent

need to treat the sick among those who were internally displaced, hence the conversion of his office into an examination room.

Soon after, CNEWA’s Pontifical Mission emergency management team from Beirut arrived in Duhok and, meeting with the council, determined that a temporary prefabricated health clinic could better meet the needs of the displaced. Father Philipos offered the garden of Mar Narsai Church for the site of the clinic.

The temporary facility was inaugurated May 2015, and it was staffed by general doctors, dentists, gynecologists, pediatricians, orthopedists and ophthalmologists.

The treatment and medicine were free.

“People came from across the region. It was open to all the displaced, Christians, Kurds, Yazidis and Arabs,” Father Philipos says.

People would travel hours to the clinic because they were either unable to find medicine in their area or because private doctors were unaffordable.

Sabah Wadeeaa Sulaiman was a regular patient back then. The 65-year-old is a retired school principal, who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.

“They helped us with the medicines,” he says.

Mr. Sulaiman remembers the exact day he was forced out of his house in Bashiqa, in the heart of the Nineveh Plain.

“I left 6 August 2014, two or three days after Daesh entered my region.”

He was one of the 150,000 Christians who, on that single day, fled Mosul, Qaraqosh and other villages on the Nineveh Plain.

“Daesh burned my house. Now, some people of my village have gone back, but I don’t want to return. In my region we were 500 Christians families, now around 150 remain,” he explains.

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The

CNEWA Connection Biologist Sava Salam works in the health dispensary’s laboratory.

Opposite page, bottom: Wartikes Marderus Wartan, 55, a regular patient, picks up a prescription at the dispensary’s pharmacy.

The onslaught of ISIS changed the demographics of Iraq permanently. Their reign of terror displaced its deeply rooted mosaic of peoples — Christian, Mandaean, Sunni and Shiite Muslim, Yazidi, Arab and Kurd — destabilizing the heartland of ancient Mesopotamia. However, CNEWA’s programmatic support followed these communities, adapting and responding to their needs as the situation shifted, as in the case of the Mar Narsai dispensary profiled here. CNEWA’s commitment is to people first, helping to create a world where their needs are met and their dignity is upheld.

To support our mission in Iraq, call 1-866-322-4441 (Canada) or 1-800-442-6392 (United States).

Mr. Sulaiman is one of the 1.2 million Iraqis who remain displaced from their homes and communities.

The main obstacles to their return are insecurity and social tensions, the slow pace of reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and the lack of work. ISIS sleeper cells continue to launch occasional attacks both in Iraq and Syria.

“There is still fear, because in some of these regions, these [Daesh] ideas are still in people’s minds,” says Father Philipos.

Mr. Sulaiman has found stability in Duhok and has gone from being a patient at the prefabricated clinic to a patient at the Mar Narsai dispensary. Last April, he visited the dentist with tooth pain.

“The treatment is very good, and it is cheaper than at other clinics,” he says.

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A

fter ISIS lost its territory in Iraq in 2018, 80 percent of the six million displaced persons returned to their homes. As the prefabricated clinic bade farewell to many of its patients, Father Philipos had an idea: “Doctors and medicine are very expensive here, so I thought, why don’t we open a dispensary to help everyone, the disadvantaged people in general, not only displaced ones?”

In Iraq, despite current favorable macroeconomic figures, 2.5 million people need some form of humanitarian assistance, 729,000 of whom are internally displaced.

CNEWA and Misereor, the aid agency of the Catholic bishops of Germany, funded the construction of the new 11,300 square-foot dispensary built on land offered by the local municipal authorities. Last

December, the clinic, officially called the Mar Narsai Non-Profit Medical Complex, opened its doors to all.

“We treat all the people as equal.

We don’t look at their religion. We treat Muslims, Yazidis and Christians without any distinction,” says its administrator, Atra Barkhow Oraha.

“It’s just like the Lord said in the Bible: Love your neighbor just like yourself. So, we always love our neighbors, and we always try our best to serve them.”

The dispensary is quite unique in Iraq, where there are either private centers, which are expensive, or public health care centers, which are free or have nominal fees, but tend to be under-resourced.

The Mar Narsai dispensary employs 11 doctors, including family physicians, gynecologists, pediatricians, dermatologists, otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, dentists, cardiologists and gastroenterologists, and 11 staff.

The complex includes a laboratory and a pharmacy.

“Our services most in-demand are gynecological and the ultrasound for pregnant women, and we receive many chronically ill, like diabetics,” Mr. Oraha explains.

About 70 percent of patients are locals and 30 percent are displaced persons.

“We’ve registered 2,248 patients so far, and, on average we receive 50 patients per day,” says Mr. Oraha.

Y

usra Joqi Khanu is visiting the doctor to have her chest pain checked.

“I had breathing problems and pain in my chest. The doctors did a full check. They treat you very well

here. We needed a dispensary in this area and now we have it,” she says with a smile.

Ms. Khanu fled Baghdad in 2007.

That year, more than 26,000 civilians were killed at the height of the sectarian violence that followed the U.S. invasion in 2003. Her neighbor was kidnapped and killed, and after her husband was threatened by an armed group, they fled.

“We came to Duhok on 23 November 2007, fleeing the terrorist attacks. On our street in Baghdad, we were all Christians. But all of them were threatened and left,” she recounts.

Ms. Khanu plans to stay in Duhok, a region to which she feels connected because her father is from northern Iraq. As a parishioner of Mar Narsai Church, she helped assist internally displaced persons in 2014.

“We helped the displaced by welcoming them in my house and through the church,” explains Ms. Khanu, who has been a regular patient at the clinic since its origins in the prefabricated building.

Other patients, such as Kawthar Salah, are coming to the dispensary for the first time. The 28-year-old from Duhok gave birth four months

ago to her third child and is visiting the gynecologist to treat a womb inflammation.

“My relatives told me about this dispensary. They said it is suitable for people in need. I used to go to another center. It was not expensive, but here it is better,” she says.

The dispensary receives patients who previously went to public health care centers and those who went to private centers but have found the dispensary more affordable.

“The quality is like a private hospital, but the price is like a government hospital,” says Father Aphram.

“We treat all the people as equal. …

It’s just like the Lord said in the Bible: Love your neighbor just like yourself.”

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Wartikes Marderus Wartan, a 55-year-old Christian Armenian who works at an aluminum company, found information about the dispensary online four months ago and has been a regular patient since then.

“I came today to have a check-up because I have high cholesterol,” he explains. “I used to go to a private doctor, but here it is more affordable. Hopefully it can grow, I’d like them to have operating rooms for example.”

Matias Atran Bahjat, 6, prepares to have his blood drawn at the dispensary. His older sister (left) lends him support.

Costs for a visit at a private center start at about $17, while at Mar Narsai a visit costs a fraction of that, about $6.80. That affordability helps doctors follow up regularly with their patients.

Dr. Muna Ghanim Majeed Shaya, an obstetrician and gynecologist displaced from Kirkuk in 2007, has worked in the early detection of breast cancer and cervical cancer both in private and public health care facilities in Iraq. She has noticed the patients at her private clinic would not show up to their appointments due to cost, but they do at the dispensary. Early detection of cancer is key to increasing survival rates, she points out.

When Dr. Ghanim treats pregnant women, she is also very attentive to the early detection of anemia, which is widespread in Iraq.

“We do the [anemia] exam every month and we give them iron. If the price [of the visit] were high, [the patient] wouldn’t come to the check-up and would postpone the exam,” she explains.

Helan Adeb waits patiently in the corridor to be called by Dr. Ghanim.

This Kurdish woman from Duhok is four months pregnant, and this is her first check-up for this pregnancy.

“When I had the twins a year and a half ago, I went to the doctor every two months, but it was

expensive. So now, with this pregnancy, this is the first time I go to the doctor due to my economic situation,” says Ms. Adeb.

“Hopefully, they will open a place to deliver babies here, because my cesarean was very expensive,” she adds.

Father Philipos shares Ms. Adeb’s wish.

“We would like a full hospital with all the specialists,” he says.

Among the challenges for the dispensary are the monthly expenses of the pharmacy and the lab license, which cost $2,000 and $500, respectively. High on the list of priorities is to equip better the radiology department.

Dr. Maysaloun Shaman Saeed heads the radiology department at Azadi Hospital in Duhok, and works at the dispensary in the afternoons.

“The ultrasound machine doesn’t fulfill all our patients’ needs,” she explains. “For example, to assess if there is a benign or malignant mass in a breast examination, we need a more developed ultrasonic machine.”

The dispensary also lacks a CT scanner and an X-ray machine that would allow Dr. Saeed to deal with “muscular spasms, vertebral and lumbosacral spine examinations, and any fracture or trauma.”

Three days ago, she had a patient whose ultrasound exam showed a mass on his kidney.

“But I don’t have an elastography, so I didn’t assess if it was malignant or benign, and I referred him to another center,” she says.

W

ithin the walls of the new Mar Narsai dispensary, patients and doctors, displaced persons and locals, Christians and nonChristians, all find a safe space.

The paths of these Iraqis tell a story of resilience in a country where brutal violence took a high toll

on vulnerable communities, such as Christians, Mandaeans and Yazidis.

Since the 2003 U.S. invasion, the population of Christians in Iraq has dwindled from 1.5 million to fewer than 250,000.

“In the 1970s in Baghdad there were 2 million Christians. Now there are 200 families. In Basra there are only 100 families left, and in Kirkuk, Mosul and Nineveh Plain it’s the same story,” says Father Philipos. “Sadly, a hundred Christian families every year leave Iraq,” he adds.

Christian communities have deep roots in this land, he adds. The nearby Mar Odisho Monastery, which dates to the year 311, is an example.

“It’s out of the question that Christians will leave this region. We will remain. God protects us from extremists, wars, persecution and attacks,” he says confidently.

In northern Iraq, in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, many displaced persons seem to have found the stability they could not find in their home communities. Mr. Marderus and his family were threatened in 2007 and fled Mosul for Duhok.

“I don’t want to go back to Mosul.

In Kurdistan, there is more security and freedom,” he says.

That same year, Ms. Khanu fled Baghdad, and like Mr. Marderus, she does not plan to go back.

However, leaving Iraq is not an option for her.

“No matter the circumstances, Iraq is my country,” she says. “It is where I have my roots, and I love my country.”

Alicia Medina is a Spanish freelance journalist based in Lebanon since 2018. Her work has appeared in international media outlets, including News Deeply, Syria Direct, Syria Untold, Deutsche Welle and Radio France International.

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A Letter From

IRAQ Keeping Hope Alive

by Archimandrite Emanuel Youkhana

E

very morning I go to CAPNI’s headquarters, where 40 people we call the “CAPNI family” work together — a Christian family of diverse denominations and skills — at different tasks, but sharing one mission begun in 1993 by a group of volunteers committed to a challenging mission: to keep hope alive.

I greet my beloved members of the CAPNI family and, after being assured of the health of each one, we exchange on the day’s tasks in order to carry out our mission.

CAPNI began small, like the mustard seed, and has grown into the largest Christian humanitarian organization in Kurdistan today in terms of its structure, mission territory and diversity of programs and services. This work is for all of society to witness the love of Christ for all. And as an ecumenical organization, CAPNI serves all vulnerable communities, including internally displaced people, from all religious backgrounds — Christian, Muslim and Yazidi.

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The city of Duhok in Iraqi Kurdistan continues to host more than 300,000 people who fled Sinjar and the Nineveh Plain in 2014 due to the brutal violence of ISIS. In Duhok and among its people, they found a warm embrace, security, safety and hope.

Duhok today is neither the Duhok before ISIS nor the Duhok before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Life challenges have increased and changed. Displaced persons have exhausted their resources and humanitarian organizations have curtailed their activities and assistance.

The host community has grown increasingly vulnerable with the fiscal crisis in the region, the economic recession and the limited labor market.

A question we hear in our daily interactions with beneficiaries and on our visits with displaced persons and others resonates with me and with the other members of the CAPNI staff: “Is there any hope?”

The answer is for sure a big “Yes!”

Hope exists and is alive, and we witness it every day. Hope for CAPNI affiliates and program partners is not just an emotion. It is put into action in day-to-day life.

Hope is more than a nice sermon.

It cannot be sown and enhanced through words alone. It must be materialized. It must be tangible.

People must be able to touch hope.

This is our challenge and our mission.

It is true we may feel helpless sometimes, but never hopeless.

We give hope to children, displaced from their hometowns for the past seven years and housed in five centers. Each center hosts 120 children of different faiths, between the ages of 6 and 12. The centers provide them with academic classes, as well as sports, music and art activities. The children are taken on outings to archaeological and religious sites and offered other recreational activities to restore their lost smiles.

We also give hope through a mobile clinic that makes regular

RESPONDING TO HUMAN NEEDS

visits to more than 30 isolated Christian villages in remote mountainous areas. The mobile clinic provides treatment to those in need, especially the elderly with chronic diseases.

With the great panic and anxiety experienced during the coronavirus pandemic, CAPNI stepped up its efforts and partnered with other organizations and programs, including CNEWA, to try to prevent the virus from spreading. We held awareness programs, helped those who were infected and assisted many in overcoming anxiety and fear.

The promotion of hope and its permanence are achieved by increasing the number of “ambassadors of hope” and creating a space for them to witness. These ambassadors are church youth, who, with their activities and programs, turn the restive church into a church that brings hope as a remedy for suffering.

CNEWA-Pontifical Mission has backed ecumenical pastoral

programs in nine churches serving more than 1,800 people from various regions of Iraq, including Duhok, Kirkuk, Erbil and the Nineveh Plain. These programs — including Bible studies, youth camps, choirs and community discussions on the challenges faced by the church, the family and individual Christians in carrying out their baptismal mission to serve the community of faith and Iraqi society — have produced many fruits.

The joy on the faces of participants communicates a sense of safety, confidence and peace within one’s self and with one’s surroundings. These activities also give renewed energy to church and interchurch activities. They build bridges and strengthen the unity of faith and Christian belonging.

While we are proud of our services and programs for vulnerable communities, we are prouder of the pastoral and church programs, as no civil society

Archimandrite Emanuel Youkhana, opposite and above, spends a lot of his time in the field. Here, he is with displaced people outside Mosul, Iraq, in January 2017.

organizations care to fund such programs. And while we always thank and pray for the supporters of our various humanitarian programs, we are grateful in a particular way to those who support pastoral programs because of their lasting and sustainable positive effects.

Our workday may seem long or tiring sometimes, but our souls fill with joy when we hear encouraging words from the displaced children, sick elders or energetic youth, and our faces reflect the smiles of those we encounter throughout the day, whether on a field visit or in one of our programs.

They should not thank us. We are the ones who must thank them for living, preaching and spreading hope, and joining us in fulfilling our mission to keep hope alive. n

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Carta desde

IRAK

Manteniendo la esperanza viva Por Archimandrita Emanuel Yokhanna

C

ada mañana en Duhok, Kurdistán iraquí, donde la historia antigua se une con el presente, el sol de la esperanza brilla para el futuro de sus diversos habitantes, que viven como una sola familia.

Cada mañana voy a la sede de CAPNI, donde 40 personas a las que llamamos la familia CAPNI trabajamos juntos, como una familia cristiana de diversas denominaciones y habilidades, en diferentes tareas, pero compartiendo una misión iniciada en 1993 por un grupo de voluntarios comprometidos con una misión desafiante: mantener viva la esperanza. Saludo a mis amados miembros de la familia CAPNI y, luego de estar seguros que todos estamos bien de salud, nos enfocamos en las tareas del día para cumplir nuestra misión.

CAPNI comenzó siendo pequeña, como la semilla de mostaza, y hoy en día se ha convertido en la mayor organización humanitaria cristiana en Kurdistán en términos de estructura, territorio de misión y

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diversidad de programas y servicios.

Su trabajo es para que toda la sociedad sea testigo del amor de Cristo. Y como una organización ecuménica, CAPNI sirve a todas las comunidades vulnerables, incluyendo a desplazados internos, de todas las creencias religiosas: cristianos, musulmanes y yazidíes.

Duhok sigue albergando a más de 300.000 personas que huyeron de Sinjar y la Llanura de Nínive en 2014 debido a la brutal violencia de ISIS. En Duhok y entre su gente ellos encuentran un cálido abrazo, seguridad, protección y esperanza.

El Duhok de hoy no es el Duhok que fue antes de ISIS ni el Dohuk que fue antes de la pandemia de COVID-19.

Los desafíos de la vida han aumentado y cambiado. Las personas desplazadas han agotado sus recursos y las organizaciones humanitarias han reducido sus actividades y asistencia.

La comunidad anfitriona se ha vuelto cada vez más vulnerable debido a la crisis fiscal de la región, la

recesión económica y el limitado mercado laboral.

Una pregunta que escuchamos a diario en nuestras interacciones con los beneficiarios y en nuestras visitas a las personas desplazadas y otras personas resuena en mí y en los demás miembros del personal de CAPNI: “¿Hay alguna esperanza?”

La respuesta es con seguridad un gran “¡Sí!”

La esperanza existe y está viva, y somos testigos de ella todos los días. La esperanza para los afiliados y socios del programa CAPNI no es solo una emoción. Se pone en acción en la vida cotidiana.

La esperanza es más que un buen sermón. No se puede sembrar y hacerla crecer solo con palabras.

Debe materializarse. Debe ser tangible. La gente debe ser capaz de tocar la esperanza. Este es nuestro desafío y nuestra misión.

Es cierto que podemos sentirnos impotentes a veces, pero nunca sin esperanza.

Le brindamos esperanza a los niños, desplazados de sus lugares

de origen durante los últimos siete años y alojados en cinco centros.

Cada centro alberga a 120 niños de diferentes religiones, entre las edades de 6 y 12 años. Los centros les brindan clases académicas, así como actividades deportivas, musicales y artísticas. Se les lleva a paseos a sitios arqueológicos y religiosos y se les ofrecen otras actividades recreativas para devolverles la sonrisa perdida.

También damos esperanza a través de una clínica móvil que realiza visitas periódicas a más de 30 pueblos cristianos aislados en zonas montañosas remotas. La clínica móvil brinda tratamiento a quienes lo necesitan, especialmente a los ancianos con enfermedades crónicas.

Con el gran pánico y la ansiedad experimentados durante la pandemia del coronavirus, CAPNI intensificó sus esfuerzos y se asoció con otras organizaciones y programas, incluyendo a CNEWA, para tratar de evitar la propagación del virus. Llevamos a cabo

programas de concientización, ayudamos a los infectados y ayudamos a muchos a superar la ansiedad y el miedo.

La promoción de la esperanza y su permanencia se logra aumentando el número de “embajadores de la esperanza” y creando un espacio para que compartan su testimonio. Estos embajadores son los jóvenes de la iglesia, quienes, con sus actividades y programas, transforman a una iglesia inquieta en una iglesia que lleva esperanza como remedio al sufrimiento.

CNEWA-Misión Pontificia ha respaldado programas pastorales ecuménicos en nueve iglesias que atienden a más de 1.800 personas de varias regiones de Irak, incluyendo a Duhok, Kirkuk, Erbil y la Llanura de Nínive. Estos programas, que incluyen estudios bíblicos, campamentos juveniles, coros y discusiones comunitarias sobre los desafíos que enfrentan la iglesia, la familia y los cristianos en el desempeño de su misión

bautismal para servir a la comunidad de fe y la sociedad iraquí, han producido muchos frutos.

La alegría en los rostros de los participantes comunica una sensación de seguridad, confianza y paz dentro de ellos mismos y con su entorno. Estas actividades también brindan una energía renovada a las actividades eclesiásticas e intereclesiásticas.

Construyen puentes y fortalecen la unidad de la fe y la pertenencia cristiana.

Si bien es cierto que estamos orgullosos de nuestros servicios y programas para comunidades vulnerables, estamos más orgullosos de los programas pastorales y de la iglesia, ya que ninguna organización de la sociedad civil se preocupa por financiar tales programas. Y aunque siempre agradecemos y oramos por los que apoyan nuestros diversos programas humanitarios, estamos agradecidos de manera particular a quienes apoyan los programas pastorales por sus efectos positivos duraderos y sostenibles.

Nuestro día de trabajo a veces puede parecer largo o agotador, pero nuestras almas se llenan de alegría cuando escuchamos palabras de aliento de los niños desplazados, ancianos enfermos o jóvenes enérgicos, y nuestros rostros reflejan las sonrisas de aquellos con los que nos encontramos a lo largo del día, ya sea en una visita de campo o en uno de nuestros programas.

Ellos no deberían darnos las gracias. Somos nosotros quienes debemos agradecerles a ellos por vivir, predicar y difundir esperanza, y por acompañarnos en el cumplimiento de nuestra misión de mantener viva la esperanza. n

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RESPONDIENDO A LAS NECESIDADES HUMANAS

Archimandrita Emanuel Youkhana (izquierda) habla con un comandante del ejército iraquí frente a las ruinas de una iglesia ortodoxa siria en Mosul, Irak, en enero de 2017.

Following the

Good Shepherd Forming men to be at the service of others text by Magdy Samaan with photographs by Hanaa Habib

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Coptic Catholic seminarians attend liturgy on the last Friday of Lent in the chapel of St. Leo the Great Patriarchal Seminary, located in Cairo’s Maadi neighborhood.

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FORMING CHURCH LEADERSHIP

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hants, in Coptic and Arabic, resound in the chapel of St. Leo the Great Patriarchal Seminary in the outskirts of Cairo. It is the last Friday of Lent, and the seminarians are gathered for prayer with their spiritual leader, Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak of Alexandria.

The harmonious melody demonstrates how well the seminarians have been taught the intricacies of the ancient liturgical chants of the Copts.

Afterward, the seminarians grab their suitcases in their rooms. They are heading back home to serve in their local parishes during Holy Week, spending the holiest time of the year with their families. The liturgy also marks the end of classes.

The seminarians will return to St. Leo’s after Easter break to take their final exams; the academic year will conclude at the end of May. Once they have completed formation, these men are ordained as celibate priests to serve one of the eight eparchies of the Coptic Catholic Church, a small community of fewer than 200,000 people who belong to a much larger Christian family in Egypt, or for religious life, such as the Franciscans. Some of these priests will eventually serve Coptic Catholic parishes abroad.

Married men who seek ordination in the Coptic Catholic Church and other lay faithful study theology at another institution located in the Sakanini district of Cairo.

Ethnic Egyptian Christians — known as Copts, a term that derives from the Greek “Aigyptios,” meaning Egyptian — are proud of their ancient roots. They received the Gospel from St. Mark, who in the middle of the first century preached

in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, second only to Rome in the ancient Mediterranean world. Today, Copts form the largest Christian community in the eastern Mediterranean, embracing more than 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 105 million. Catholic Copts share the ancient Alexandrian rite of the much larger Coptic Orthodox Church, even as they remain in full communion with the Church of Rome.

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t. Leo Seminary follows the curriculum of the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, although it also teaches the Coptic language and liturgy particular to the patriarchal church.

“Every religious sect has an identity,” says Father Abram Maher Fahmy, head of the theology department and vice dean of the seminary. “The identity of the Coptic Catholic Church, which we develop in priestly formation, is the

identity of Jesus the Good Shepherd.”

The process of preparing a seminarian for the priesthood is not limited to academics, he adds.

“When we talk about priestly formation, we are talking about formation in five dimensions: the human, the spiritual, the academic, the social and finally the pastoral dimension,” he explains. “My role as an instructor is to be a father, a brother and a friend to seminarians.”

“The identity of the Coptic Catholic Church, which we develop in priestly formation, is the identity of Jesus the Good Shepherd.”

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The

CNEWA Connection

A priest anoints a young person’s wrists with holy oil during liturgy in the seminary chapel. Bottom, opposite page, seminarians listen to a presentation in a seminary classroom.

Father Fahmy accompanies each seminarian in his formation, encouraging him to grow into the image of the priest “that the church expects of him,” he says.

Bishop Thomas Adly of the Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Giza, Fayoum and Beni Suef was previously rector of the seminary.

He says seminary instructors, too, need ongoing formation.

“Formation of seminarians is an important and serious responsibility that needs continuous development of the instructors, because the nature of the youth being trained changes year after year as a result of the rapidly changing system of values in society,” the bishop says.

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ounded in 1953, St. Leo the Great Patriarchal Seminary is located in Maadi, a quiet neighborhood in noisy Cairo. The large building sits in the middle of 10 acres; it is a peaceful place with spacious rooms for study and prayer and outdoor gardens for relaxation and reflection.

The rector, Father Bishoy Rasmy, notes that CNEWA subsidizes the expenses for largely everything, from the academic program to daily living expenses for seminarians, as well as salaries for 25 lecturers — clergy and lay people — and 23 support staff, who provide library, secretarial, cooking, cleaning and gardening services.

“CNEWA covers maintenance costs for the building, which are carried out annually,” adds Father Rasmy. “The place here is very large, with the capacity to house 100 people. Plus, it has a soccer field, a volleyball field and four churches — the main one and four small chapels.”

The small number of Coptic Catholics in Egypt does not impede its priests, religious and faithful from living out the Gospel by serving their local communities in health care, education and a variety of social and pastoral services. For nearly 70 years, St. Leo the Great Patriarchal Seminary has been forming men to shepherd not just their small flock, but all of the people of God, regardless of creed.

Consider sponsoring a seminarian. Your support of this good work helps the church in its efforts to evangelize and live the Gospel.

To support seminarians and other aspects of our mission in Egypt, call 1-866-322-4441 (Canada) or 1-800-442-6392 (United States).

When Father Fahmy entered the seminary in 1993, 23 men had applied and 10 were selected to start their first year. At the time, the total number of seminarians at the various stages of formation was 60.

Some 30 years later, only nine men applied to enter the seminary and the total enrollment is now 38. Of these, seven belong to either the Carmelite, Dominican or Franciscan communities.

Six men will graduate this year.

Three were ordained priests by the time of publication. The others will be ordained later this year. The number of seminarians continues to decrease, however, especially since the start of the second millennium, says Father Fahmy.

“The shortage of priestly vocations is a crisis at the level of the church worldwide,” adds Father

Bishoy. “In Egypt, we have not reached this stage yet. If we calculate the ratio of priests to the number of Catholics, we will find the Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt has sufficient vocations.”

The seminarians follow a rigorous schedule. Their day starts at 6:30 a.m. After a period of prayer and liturgy, they have breakfast. Classes begin at 9 a.m. and end at 1:15 p.m., when they break for lunch.

The afternoons are dedicated to study or other formation activities.

“We don’t see our families as much as we see each other in the seminary,” says seminarian Fadi Fayek Mourid, 25, who is in his second year of philosophy studies.

“We live a fraternal life, whether in the classroom or the living room.

We eat meals together. We pray together. We are companions.”

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ach seminarian has his own story to tell about his call to the seminary. The decision was not easy for some, while it was a foregone conclusion for others.

Seminarians are carefully selected, explains the rector. After a young man expresses his interest in the priesthood, he first contacts the director of vocations in his eparchy, who follows up with him for at least one year. After the local bishop approves of the candidate, he is invited to attend two weeklong retreats. The first is for the seminary to assess the sincerity of the call and the extent of the applicant’s qualifications to become a priest.

Those who are selected are invited to a second retreat for a week of prayer, when they decide whether to continue or to withdraw.

Fadi’s parents were not surprised when he told them he wanted to enter seminary. They rather expected it. Holy Family Church in Fayoum, located about 62 miles southwest of Cairo, where Fadi grew up, has been at the core of his life for many years. He served his parish as a cantor and altar server and taught Coptic hymns to youth and Sunday school children.

But his relatives reproached his parents for not stopping him from pursuing his call to seminary. Fadi is the only son in his family, and the custom in Upper Egypt is for the only son to bear the responsibility of marrying and having children to carry on the family name.

“Joining the seminary was a call from God,” says Fadi, who explains that he discerned this call through prayer, the liturgy and “carefully reading all my life’s path to see God’s will.”

He had thought about the priesthood during his university studies in the faculty of arts.

“But I postponed it,” he says.

“After graduation, the voice of our Lord was clearer and clearer to me, ‘Come, follow me.’ ”

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Fadi, who is in formation for the Eparchy of Giza, Fayoum and Beni Suef, says his goal when he becomes a priest will be to draw young people back to the church. Social media leads young people away from the church, he says, because they do not see what the liturgical life has to do with their personal, daily reality.

He wants to explain the connection, he says. All of life’s activities must be linked with “the person of Christ.”

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he decision for Remoon Atef, 26, to enter seminary was not difficult. He was born into a Catholic family from Al Qusiya, a city about 220 miles south of Cairo, with many vocations to the priesthood. He was raised in the church, serving as a cantor and an altar server and participating in the church’s activities.

“I had an inner voice that with time began to grow, and I wanted to serve more,” he says. “Several priests came from my parish. I would see them first as seminarians and then as priests, and I had a great and sincere love for the idea.”

Remoon says he already identifies with Jesus the Good Shepherd — the identity the seminary is working to instill in all seminarians — but he believes there is still much he must learn.

“I’m not in a rush,” he adds. “I benefit from everything presented to me within the seminary.

“The path I am trying to walk is how to be a priest according to the example of Jesus, how to present Jesus to people. My first and last goal is how people see Christ in me,” says Remoon, who is studying for the Eparchy of Assiut.

Before joining the seminary seven years ago, Milad Gamil from Abu Qurqas, about 186 miles south of Cairo, had earned an Industrial Secondary School Diploma.

At right, top photo: Seminarian Milad Gamil, pictured at the seminary, is studying for the Eparchy of Abu Qurqas, located about 186 miles south of Cairo. Bottom photo: Seminarians gather in the chapel for liturgy with the priests who teach at the seminary on the last Friday of Lent.

“My personality has changed greatly since I joined the seminary through the long path of formation at all levels, and this was evident in refining my personality and gaining knowledge, which will help me later in my life as a priest,” says Milad, who is studying for the Eparchy of Abu Qurqas.

“I had a passion to live for God in the service of people,” says Milad, referring to his discernment process.

“Our primary calling is to holiness like Jesus, to walk in holiness through all the activities and services offered by the church.”

“Every year there is something new in our formation, with the goal of preparing us to be servants after graduation,” he adds. “We sit with the instructors and discuss what we need. Sometimes we invite people, whether priests or development workers, to pass on their experiences to us.”

The seminary’s program of study is divided into three stages over seven years. The introductory stage lasts one year and focuses on language acquisition, namely of English, French or Arabic.

The second stage is two years of philosophy studies, focused on ancient Greek, Christian, Islamic and contemporary philosophy.

Seminarians also study psychology and sociology.

Four years of theology follow, including the Coptic theological and liturgical tradition. At this stage, seminarians may wear clerical garb and engage in pastoral services in one of the nearby parishes on Fridays. While the first three years

“The path I am trying to walk is how to be a priest according to the example of Jesus, how to present Jesus to people.”

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“The main obstacle is the extent of a seminarian’s acceptance of the formation, the extent of his commitment, whether he is reactive and able to live joyfully, whether he has peace.” of theology comprise in-class learning, the fourth year is spent in a pastoral internship, preparing a research paper and studying for a comprehensive exam.

Men belonging to religious congregations fulfill the first two stages of formation within their communities and only join the seminary for theological studies.

They do not reside at the seminary, but return to their communities at the end of the day.

Despite the seminary’s heavy academic formation, seminarians

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are not assessed on academics alone.

“The role of the seminary is not to evaluate its students, but to form them,” says Bishop Adly.

“There is a difference between evaluation and formation,” he continues. “Formation means I have the patience to move [seminarians] from one level to another, so they grow every day. I have the patience to see them pressuring themselves to make things right and so on. This entails a comprehensive system in the daily life of the seminary.”

No candidate is excluded because of academics, says Father Abram.

“For us, the main obstacle is the extent of a seminarian’s acceptance of the formation, the extent of his commitment, whether he is reactive and able to live joyfully, whether he has peace,” he explains.

“Anxiety and the lack of peace are indicators of not completing the path.”

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n the last day of classes, before Easter break, seminarians gather in a

A seminarian prepares to read from Scripture before a meal in the seminary refectory.

classroom to support one of their colleagues, Franciscan Brother Samer Masoud, O.F.M., in his thesis defense, required for graduation and ordination. Some are wearing clerical garb. Others wear civilian clothes.

Still others don the distinctive brown Franciscan habit. Three clerics make up the evaluation committee.

At the end of the defense, the audience files out of the classroom to allow the evaluation committee to deliberate in private. After a short while, Brother Samer and his peers are invited back into the classroom to hear the committee’s decision: The thesis is accepted.

The audience applauds and congratulates Brother Samer, not only for his thesis but for the near completion of his studies and his readiness for ministry.

“My research topic, entitled ‘Jesus Christ the Life,’ is based on the Gospel of John,” says Brother Samer, who developed his research under the supervision of Bishop Adly and who chose a topic he thought would benefit his future ministry among young people.

“I have noticed the value of life is not clear to young people,” he says.

Brother Samer expects to be ordained this year and then assigned a specific service among his order’s many activities, whether in a school, a clinic or other spiritual work.

While Catholic Copts are few, their activities — including schools, health care and social service programs for the most vulnerable — have a disproportionate impact on the common good of all Egyptians.

Father Fahmy, the vice dean of the seminary, says the Catholic community in Egypt is distinguished by the many services it provides to the local community and seminary formation is geared to this service.

Seminarians learn the principles of Catholic social teaching, listen to the experiences of priests and lay people working on the ground, and spend summers and weekends serving in local churches.

“The Catholic Church in Egypt provides its social services to everyone, whether Christian or Muslim, which is reflected in all aspects of formation,” he says.

“Whether within the seminary by teaching the pastoral theology course, which educates the seminarians about the principles of the Catholic Church in serving the local community, or through pastoral experiences, by participating in those services.”

Based in Cairo, Magdy Samaan is the Egypt correspondent for The Times of London. His work also has been published in the Daily Telegraph, CNN, Foreign Policy and other journals.

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The Last Word: Perspectives From the President

by Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari

Violence! The violence in our world, in our countries, cities, towns and neighborhoods; the violence in patterns of behavior that impacts our families, schools, workplaces and the rhetoric of partisan politics; the violence we choose confirms the reality and presence of our greatest enemy: sin and the influence of the devil, “the father of lies” ( Jn 8:44).

The whole world has been exposed to the horrific violence and evil inflicted upon the sovereign people of Ukraine. Beginning with the Russian Federation’s seizure of Crimea in 2014, and most recently with the invasion that began in February 2022, the intensity and savagery has resulted in the mindless loss of life, destruction of property and the global threat of food shortages and socioeconomic chaos.

CNEWA’s mission and work often bring us to locations where violence and sin have disrupted the lives of people of all ages, cultures, genders and religious expressions.

This edition of ONE articulates the power of good over evil, life over death, and grace over sin. An article invites us to reflect upon the impact of violence on the children in Syria and the heroic work of three communities of religious women in the country. We read about the efforts CNEWA is making on behalf of Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Slovakia and the pain of Ukraine’s displaced families. A CNEWA-organized and led delegation, under the leadership of Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, visited these countries from 29 April through 3 May. Much needed attention is given to our work in Iraq through our support of a health clinic, and we hear from Father Emanuel Youkhana of the ecumenical organization CAPNI, or Christian Aid Program Northern Iraq. I recall my visit to Iraq last November with Michael La Civita, CNEWA’s director of communications, and how Father Youkhana reminded us how the suffering in Iraq was due to “man-made disasters.”

We also provide a look into the Coptic Catholic seminary in Egypt, St. Leo the Great. The seminary,

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which is largely subsidized thanks to you, the donors of CNEWA, is a place where future heralds of the Gospel learn to preach a message of merciful love and grace as the antidote to violence and sin.

Over the past several editions, I have devoted this column to reflections on major themes in the encyclical of Pope Francis published in 2020, “Fratelli tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” In light of the spiraling number of violent incidents in recent months, worldwide and here in the United States, such as the racist-driven mass shooting in a supermarket in Buffalo and the slaughter of innocent children in Uvalde, Texas, the thoughts of the pope in the last chapter of the encyclical seem even more compelling.

In one he underlines the important role of religion in the building of genuine fraternity among all people. We need to recognize that each one of us constitutes “the visible image of the invisible God.” In addition, for Christians, we do not want to miss the “the music of the Gospel.” Pope Francis writes: Yet we Christians are very much aware that ‘if the music of the Gospel ceases to resonate in our very being, we will lose the joy born of compassion, the tender love born of trust, the capacity for reconciliation that has its source in our knowledge that we have been forgiven and sent forth. If the music of the Gospel ceases to sound in our homes, our public squares, our workplaces, our political and financial life, then we will no longer hear the strains that challenge us to defend the dignity of every man and woman.’ (277) In the second area worthy of our prayer, reflection and action, Pope Francis writes: The truth is that violence has no basis in our fundamental religious convictions, but only in their distortion. … ‘Each one of us is called to be an artisan of peace, by uniting and not dividing, by extinguishing hatred and not holding on to it, by opening paths of dialogue and not by constructing new walls.’

(282, 284)

I ask you, readers of ONE, friends of and donors to the mission of CNEWA, please work to end injustice; be instruments and bearers of hope!

Numerous newly made graves at a cemetery near Mariupol, Ukraine, in mid-May tell of the massive loss of life since Russia’s invasion in February.

The United Nations, in its 2030 agenda for sustainable development, identifies as sustainable goal 16 the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies. As Christians, we are dedicated to the promotion of peace, the fruit of justice. There are many paths to pursue that goal. One sure path is to be instruments of hope.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Holy See, addressed the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2021. His reflection captures the mission of CNEWA and Pontifical Mission:

of Ukrainian people have experienced and lived through, what have we learned from them? Permit me to conclude with the powerful words of Archbishop Borys Gudziak in his 15 May 2022 commencement address at the University of Notre Dame:

For Christians, hope is the most divine gift that can exist in the heart of mankind. It sees and loves what will be, in time and in eternity. Hope ‘is expectation, fervent expectation, impassioned by the ultimate and definitive fulfillment of a mystery, the mystery of God’s love.’

Because you and I see … a nation of down-to-earth heroes, plucky patriots, hardcore lovers. Those who look into eternity overcoming their fears. Countless Ukrainians demonstrate the greatest love for ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (Jn 15:13). Despite the devastation and war crimes, marauding and torture, mendacious lies and craven cruelty, we see their life. They have heart and you are demonstrating that you want to share your hearts with them … We pray that the cross will again lead to the resurrection, to the victory of life over death.

Love! I pray that the final word and lived witness of the CNEWA family be the language and witness of love.

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