Hope
and Help for Iraqi Refugees
Catholic
Relief Services and women religious collaborate to raise
awareness of suffering Iraqis
From
January 11 through 20, Catholic Relief Services will
host a group of eight women religious on a trip of
solidarity with Iraqi refugees in the Middle East . The
American sisters, from various religious communities, will
travel to Lebanon and Syria to assess the plight of refugees
and witness the efforts of CRS and other Catholic
organizations to assist them. The delegation will meet
Iraqis at migrant centers and in their temporary homes,
learning more about their needs for shelter, health
services, and education–and their desire to return to their
homes in Iraq in safety and security.
“This is really about
solidarity,” says Sister Arlene Flaherty, the CRS Northeast
Peace and Justice Liaison who organized the delegation. “We
want the Iraqi refugees to know that we are aware of their
suffering. They have not been forgotten and we will pledge
to make their plight more visible in the U.S. When we
return, we will educate people and urge them to take action.
Our hope is to advance human rights, well being, and hope
for Iraqi refugees.”
While in the Middle East , the
sisters will meet with humanitarian aid groups and others
who are assisting Iraqi refugees, as well as with Christian
and Muslim leaders.
“This is the first time CRS
has hosted a group of American women religious at our
programs overseas,” says Maureen McCullough, CRS Northeast
Regional Director. “We hope this is the first of many
collaborations to help those who are suffering in our
world.”
The
Delegation
-
Clare
Nolan of the Sisters of the Good
Shepherd, which has Syrian sisters working with Iraqi
refugees in Syria . Sister Nolan is based in
New York City and is the UN NGO representative
for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
-
Anne
Curtis of the
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Leadership Team. She is based in
Silver Spring , Maryland .
-
Durstyne Farnan of the Adrian
Dominicans, which host Iraqi sisters in
Michigan and support their ministries in Iraq .
Sister Farnan is based near
Detroit .
-
Simone
Campbell, executive director of
Network, a Catholic social justice lobby in
Washington , D.C.
-
Antoinette Elizabeth Harris, an
American Sinsinawa Dominican sister, International
Co-Promoter of Justice and peace for the Dominican Order
now based in
Rome.
-
Carmen
Villegas, member of Las Hermanas, a
network of Hispanic Catholic women. She is based in
New York City .
-
Marie
Lucey of the Sisters of St. Francis of
Philadelphia , Associate Director for Social
Mission at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.
She is based in
Silver Spring , Maryland .
-
Arlene
Flaherty, a Blauvelt Dominican sister
and CRS Northeast’s Peace and Justice Liaison to
Colleges/Universities and Religious Institutes. She is
based in
Philadelphia .
Catholic Relief Services is
the official international relief and development agency of
the U.S. Catholic community. It serves the poor in over 100
countries overseas through programs in emergency relief,
health, agriculture, education, microfinance and
peacebuilding.
Interviews with the sisters
are available. For more information, contact:
Laura
Sheahen
Regional
Information Officer, Europe/Middle East
Catholic
Relief Services
www.crs.org
Cell:
646.373.5747
LSheahen@gmail.com
