Dominicans
Join Fact Finding Mission to Syria
FOREST
PARK, IL-- January 7, 2008--From January 11 through 20, Catholic
Relief Services will sponsor a group of eight women religious on
a trip to visit CRS programs for Iraqi refugees. The delegation
includes Arlene Flaherty, OP, (Blauvelt) of CRS, Toni Harris, OP
(Sinsinawa) International Co-Promoter of Justice and Peace and
Dusty Farnan, OP (Adrian) North American Co-Promoter of Justice
and Peace.
The group of eight will travel to Lebanon and
Syria to assess the plight of refugees. The delegation will meet
Iraqis at migrant centers and in their temporary homes to learn
more about their needs for shelter, health services, and education
and most importantly their intense desire to return to their homes
in safety.
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 really about solidarity,” says Sister Arlene
Flaherty,OP, a CRS 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 that we will pledge to bring their
plight to visibility among our various constituencies. Upon our
return, we will focus on identifying and promoting among our various
social justice networks, the kind of advocacy steps that will advance
human rights, well being, and hope for the Iraqi refugees.”
“This is the first time CRS has brought a group of American
women religious to visit our programs overseas,” says Maureen
McCullough, regional director of CRS’ programs in the northeast. “We
have an amazing group of women whose ministries serve thousands.
I hope this is the first of many collaborations.”
Dusty Farnan, OP (Adrian) said, "We leave on this delegation
still in the Christmas Season and aware of the flight of the Holy
Family, which so connects us with the plight of the refugees. We
count on your prayers and mindfullness of the situation. We began
this solidarity in 1999 with the Veritas delegation. and this is
another way for us to connect the Dominican Family with our Family
and the Christian people of Iraq."
The Delegation
- Clare Nolan, RGS, of the Sisters of
the Good Shepherd, which has Syrian sisters working with Iraqi
refugees in Syria
- Anne Curtis, RSM of the Sisters of Mercy
of the Americas
- Durstyne Farnan, OP (Adrian North
American Promoter of Justice and Peace
- Simone Campbell, SS, executive director of
Network, a Catholic social justice lobby in Washington, D.C.
- Toni Harris, OP (Sinsinawa) International
Co-Promoter of Justice and Peace
- Carmen Diego, member of Las Hermanas, a network
of Hispanic Catholic women
- Marie Lucey, OSF director at the Leadership
Conference of Women Religious
- Arlene Flaherty, OP (Blauvelt) CRS employee
who forms partnerships between religious institutes and CRS’ work
overseas
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 peace
building. |