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Honorees for HCEF the 5th International Conference
28-Aug-03
Contact: Robert Younes, M.D.
(301) 983 3022, 301-951-9400
younes@hcef.org
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation*
News Release
Honorees for HCEF the 5th International Conference
Catholic Relief Services
The Shrine of St. Jude
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb
Albert Bateh
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) Board of Directors announces the awardees for the HCEF Award and the Living Stones Award. The awards will be presented at its Fifth Annual International Conference on the Christians of the Holy Land October 24-25, 2003 in Washington, D.C.
The HCEF Award is given to individuals who have made a lifetime commitment to assisting the Christians living in the Holy Land. The Living Stones Award is given to institutions that have made significant contributions to the welfare of Christians in the Holy Land.
The HCEF Award will be given to Mr. Albert Bateh and Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb. Mr Bateh has been a life long supporter of Holy Land Christians. Born in Ramallah, Palestine, Mr. Bateh is a successful businessman and President of the Eissa A. Bateh & Brothers Foundation. He is a board member of the American Ramallah Foundation of Palestine, the Ramallah Foundation, and the American Ramallah Federation Educational Fund.
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb was born in Bethlehem and has been the pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church of Bethlehem for more than 10 years. He has served the Holy Land Christians in his community and is a frequent speaker to Christian audiences around the world. He is the founder and president of The Dar al-Kalima Academy, a school dedicated to the development of the Palestinian educational system. He is also General Director of The International Center of Bethlehem, which promotes Palestinian art and music. He is the author of I am a Palestinian Christian and has been published widely in the areas of religious affairs and church history.
The Living Stones Award will be presented to the Shrine of St. Jude, Rockville, MD and Catholic Relief Services. The Shrine of St. Jude is a model for a successful partnership between an American parish and a parish in the Holy Land. St. Jude's partner in the Holy Land is Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Birzeit, Palestine. St. Jude's parish set up a Holy Land Outreach Committee that has organized efforts to provide spiritual and material support for the congregation in Birzeit. The school at St. Jude has participated in the Beacons of Hope program and has sent school supplies to the Birzeit School. As St. Jude and Our Lady Queen of Peace parishes grow closer together, the survival of Christianity in the land of its birth is assured.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has collaborated with HCEF to establish job creation programs that benefit the unemployed in the Holy Land. Putting the unemployed to work not only helps workers support their families but the program also creates community infrastructure improvements. CRS has been engaged in helping the Palestinians in every sector of Palestinian society, especially during the trying times of the current Intifada. CRS has also worked with children to assist them to overcome the traumas created by the military occupation of their homeland. Palestinian Christians have benefited tremendously from the effect of these programs in the Holy Land.
For conference registration materials and more information, contact HCEF toll free at 1-800-871-HCEF (4233). Or register on line at www.hcef.org.
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*The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501(c)3 organization, committed to improving the lives of Christians in the Holy Land through building bonds of solidarity with between Christians in the United States and Christians in the Holy Land. We have two goals: inform Americans about the Christians in the Holy Land and provide humanitarian assistance for the needy in the land where Jesus Christ was born, preached, died and rose again. HCEF, 6935 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 214, Bethesda, MD 20815 (301) 951-9400, Toll Free (866) 871-4233 (HCEF), www.hcef.org Email: news@hcef.org
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