“The people of Poland offered hospitality of Biblical proportions …”
— Msgr. Peter Vaccari, President of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA)
BISHOP
KEVIN J.
SWEENEY
The words quoted above represent just some of the observations and insights that were shared by Msgr. Peter Vaccari when he led the annual Advent Day of Prayer for the priests of our diocese this past Monday, Dec. 4, at our St. Paul’s Inside the Walls Evangelization Center. Father Richard Bay and a small group of priests make up a “Committee for Priestly Life and Ministry.” The committee plans and organizes our Advent and Lenten days of prayer and our (once every three years) Priests’ Convocation. As Father Bay and the committee were planning this year’s Advent Day of Prayer, I suggested Msgr. Vaccari as a possible speaker.
Msgr. Vaccari had been my spiritual director during my years of formation (1992–97) at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, Long Island. He would later become the rector of the seminary in Huntington and, when the Dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre combined their seminary formation programs with the Archdiocese of New York, Msgr. Vaccari became the rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie (in 2012). Msgr. Vaccari was named the president of CNEWA in October of 2022 and began serving in that role on Jan. 1, 2020. Click here for more information.
In addition to facing the challenges of the COVID pandemic less than three months into his tenure, CNEWA has had to respond to three major disasters and tragedies in the past two years. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. In February of 2023, a devastating earthquake hit Turkey and Syria and killed an estimated 50,000 people. As we are aware, the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel that took place this past Oct. 7 has led to Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza and the death of thousands of Palestinians. These are all areas where the “Catholic Near East Association” strives to fulfill its mission to “bind the wounds of a broken world, body and soul …” You can learn more about CNEWA’s mission and history on their website, such as:
“Catholic Near East Welfare Association was founded by Pope Pius XI in 1926 as an instrument of love and a sign of hope for those in need scattered throughout the historic but unstable lands of the ancient Eastern Churches — the Middle East, North East Africa, India, and Eastern Europe.”
Msgr. Vaccari’s description of the hospitality of the Polish people since the Russian invasion of Ukraine is one example of what he described to us as the ways in which the “light of Hope” shines in the midst of the darkness of war, suffering, and terrible sadness. Msgr. Vaccari shared what I believe is an amazing “untold story”: that, with as many as three million Ukrainian refugees crossing the border into Poland since the time of the invasion, not one “Refugee Camp” was established (long term) in Poland, because the refugees were welcomed and given hospitality in the homes of Polish families, in parishes and Church facilities.
The theme that Msgr. Vaccari chose for our Advent Day of Prayer and Reflection was, “The Scandal of the Incarnation and the Priest as an Agent of Hope.” In addition to his service to the Church as a seminary rector and spiritual director, Msgr. Vaccari is also an accomplished professor of Church history. In guiding our prayer and reflection, Msgr. Vaccari referenced the Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, contemporary theologians, and offered many quotes from the teachings and writings of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
For me, one of the most inspiring parts of Msgr. Vaccari’s presentation was the way in which he spoke about the “Virtue of Hope” (as opposed to “natural hope” or optimism). As he referenced Pope Benedict’s Nov. 20, 2007 Encyclical, “Spe Salvi,” and Pope Francis’ “Catechesis on the Virtue of Hope,” given in the Wednesday general audiences, Dec. 7, 2016–March 2017, I was especially inspired by Msgr. Vaccari’s personal witness. Having brought the Church’s healing ministry to those on the peripheries, Msgr. Vaccari can speak to the intersection of love and grace which opens to prayer and hope. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Spe Salvi, “It is important to know that I can always continue to hope, even if in my own life, or the historical period in which I am living, there seems to be nothing left to hope for. Only the great certitude of hope that my own life and history in general, despite all failures, are held firm by the indestructible power of Love, and that this gives them their meaning and importance, only this kind of hope can then give the courage to act and to persevere” (35). He was able to speak so powerfully about the Virtue of Hope after having witnessed so much tragedy. Hearing him describe the work of CNEWA staff members in Israel and Gaza and their perseverance in the midst of so much violence and suffering was also a true “Testimony to Hope.”
An article on the website of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, published in June of 2023, tells the story of the visit of the “President of CNEWA” to Ukraine, assuring solidarity and further support. In the article, Msgr. Vaccari is quoted:
“We came to present CNEWA as an agency of hope. We are trying to give hope to the internally displaced people. The recent situation of the hydroelectric power plant explosion is a serious case. It is an ecocide. And it is terrible! We are here to give hope. We are also here to provide support and solidarity. Especially to the people who are giving their lives, the military, and the journalists who are telling these stories,” the president of CNEWA emphasized.
Msgr. Vaccari also was able to speak to the “daily life” of a parish priest and the beautiful opportunity that Advent provides in the daily and Sunday Readings at Mass, in the celebration of the Sacraments, parish activities, and daily encounters with parishioners, for the priest to be an “Agent of Hope.” As I heard some feedback from the 40-plus priests who attended the Day of Prayer, I believe that they were as inspired as I was.
An especially sad and challenging account offered by Msgr. Vaccari was the current status of Bethlehem. Since Bethlehem is located in the “West Bank” in the Palestinian territory, it is “deserted.” A recent Catholic News Agency story describes how Christmas celebrations have been “canceled” for this year.
In a quote from the “outgoing mayor of Bethlehem,” the article captures the spirit of Hope described by Msgr. Vaccari that still exists among people who are suffering:
Outgoing Mayor Hanna Hanania told CNA: “Bethlehem, as any other Palestinian city, is mourning and sad ... We cannot celebrate while we are in this situation.” Following the approach already taken by the Christian churches in the Holy Land, Hanania said they are going to focus on prayer. “We’ll pray for God to have peace in the land of peace.”
The importance of prayer … I am very grateful to Msgr. Peter Vaccari for leading our Advent Day of Prayer, reminding and inspiring us to never give up on Hope.