Archbishop Miller visits Lebanon with CNEWA

Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, visited Lebanon last week as part of a delegation from the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA). Joining him were Bishop William Murphy, retired Bishop of Rockville Centre, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York.

The delegation spent several days with Christian and Muslim refugees there to learn about their lives and assure them of the Church’s prayers and support. Lebanon, a small neighbouring country of Syria, has been struggling with an overwhelming refugee crisis for several years, as millions have fled their homes in Syria, escaping violence and persecution.

CNEWA is a papal agency that works for humanitarian and pastoral support, through and with the Eastern Catholic churches, in identifying needs and implementing solutions.

Lebanon, a country with a native population of just 4 million, has accepted more than 1 million Syrian refugees in the past few years, according to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

During the trip, Archbishop Miller and the bishops visited several ministries of the Church in Lebanon to the refugees there, including a clinic for women and children and a social center, which provides food and education among other assistance to refugee families, women and children.

The bishops were also able to visit a local Maronite Catholic seminary in Lebanon where 100 young men are studying, as well as the Melkite Catholic Cathedral, a Catholic school for refugees, a soup kitchen, and a refugee camp.

With files from Catholic News Agency.

See Lebanon’s lesson in hospitality, Page 6.