Witnessses of hopelg
CNEWA Canada presents
WITNESSES OF HOPE
a television special in support of Christians in the Middle East
Premieres Thursday, December 10, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
on Salt + Light TV and CNEWA Canada Facebook
OTTAWA, November 26, 2020 – On December 10 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) joins forces with Salt + Light Media to present Witnesses of Hope, a television special to raise funds and awareness for the work of Christians in the Middle East and assert their right to live out their mission of charity and Gospel-witness safely and fruitfully in the region.

Produced by the Salt + Light Media team in partnership with CNEWA resources on the ground throughout the Middle East, the television special features stories of hope from Egypt, Jordan, Gaza, Lebanon and Armenia, a panel discussion on Christians in the Middle East and musical performances in Arabic, Aramaic, French and English from Montreal-based Mirna Hanna (Beam Note Studios) and St-Ephrem Syriac Catholic Choir. The hour-long program will be hosted by Deacon Pedro Guevara-Mann and Emilie Callan and will include an opening prayer from Msgr. Peter Vaccari, president of CNEWA.

The television special was developed to replace, temporarily, an annual dinner held in partnership with the Archdiocese of Toronto to achieve the same goals of supporting the work of Catholic and Christian churches and affiliated groups in the Middle East as well as build bridges between Eastern and Roman Catholic Christian communities in Canada. Established in 2015, the dinner has raised more than $84,000 which has been directed to CNEWA-funded initiatives on the ground.

“Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Middle East Christians have gone through much pain due to war,  power struggles, violence, fanaticism, exploitation, poverty and persecution,” says Carl Hétu, national director for CNEWA Canada. “As a papal agency committed to helping Christians in the East, it is our duty to defend these groups against injustice and to help share their message to Canadians –  Catholics, other Christians and persons of good will from all walks of life.  Our dinners and now this special TV fundraiser are important expressions of our care and concern for these important and oftentimes historic and ancient communities in the Middle East. It says we remember them and value their witness and service. I cannot express enough words of appreciation to the many volunteers and so many supporters and partners who have made this event fruitful over the years.”

Moderated by Deacon Pedro, the panel conversation includes Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, Father Peter Galadza of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, Pascale Debbané, regional coordinator – ME, Migrants & Refugees Section, Vatican and Carl Hétu, National Director, CNEWA Canada. 

Watch WITNESSES OF HOPE, Dec. 10, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, on Salt + Light TV and at facebook.com/cnewacanada.