Text of an “urgent appeal” from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and three Catholic aid groups for the support of the people of Lebanon.
With the support of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN), Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) Canada, and Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada (DPCC) are launching an appeal for prayers and generosity to support the most urgent needs of people in Lebanon, following the bombardments in the country that have already claimed hundreds of innocent lives.
“With the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel now having spread into Lebanon, causing further death, destruction and displacement, let us, the Catholic faithful in Canada, renew our prayers for peace in the Middle East, as urged by Pope Francis, and do whatever we can to help the people who are affected by this recent escalation in violence,” says the Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).
Caritas Lebanon reports, “Thousands of families are fleeing their homes as conflict escalates in southern Lebanon. We are providing shelter, food, medical care, and psychological support, but we need your help to continue. Every contribution makes a difference.”
Echoing Caritas Lebanon, Most Rev. McGrattan says, “There are people in Lebanon who urgently need our help at this time. That is why, in my capacity as CCCB president, I invite you to donate either to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada, to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) Canada, or to Development and Peace—Caritas Canada (DPCC).”
He adds, “Each of these organizations will work with local agencies in Lebanon to ensure your donations bring targeted and effective relief to those who are suffering.
Marie-Claude Lalonde, National Director of ACN Canada; Dr. Adriana Bara, National Director of CNEWA Canada; and Luke Stocking, interim Executive Director of DPCC, are launching a joint appeal for help for the Lebanese people: “Your donations and prayers will be a great comfort to the shaken population.”
According to Marielle Boutros, ACN’s project coordinator for Lebanon, “People are now living in church halls, so they will need food, sanitary products, mattresses, blankets, and if it continues, we will need heating for winter, though, of course, we hope it will not last that long.”
According to information received by CNEWA Canada, religious sisters in Lebanon belonging to the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary have also been affected by the bombing. “I am still in one piece,” confided Sister Maya Beiano, who is also director of a school run by her congregation. “Missiles are hitting just next to us, the convent is shaking, and windows are breaking.”
Just a week ago, she was planning to open the school whose goal is to preserve the Christian presence in the region while offering a sound education to all. “As long as there is a child and a mother in the village, I will maintain my mission,” she says, asking us to keep her in our prayers.
The directors explain that funds received will be used towards food, medical supplies, shelter, and other essential goods now and, in the months to come, to meet the basic needs of the affected population. With winter just around the corner, heating assistance will also become important. When the conflict subsides, which they hope will happen as soon as possible, the focus will move to the reconstruction of the buildings and, above all, the healing of all those who are traumatized.
“Finally, we call on our benefactors to pray for an end to the violence, not only in Lebanon, but throughout the Holy Land and Middle East,” implore the directors, adding, “We echo Pope Francis’s call for a ceasefire, which is a necessary first step toward a just and peaceful resolution of this conflict.”
Links for donations to the groups are available at archtoronto.org