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Toronto Christians Will Gather To Discuss The Plight Of The Holy Land Christians
10-Jun-03
Contact: Robert Younes, M.D.
(301) 983 3022, 301-951-9400
younes@hcef.org
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)*
News Release
Toronto Christians will gather to discuss the plight of the Holy Land Christians
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) will make a presentation about the Holy Land Christians at St. Aidan's Church, 3501 Finch Ave East, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA N1W2S2 on Saturday, July 19th, 2003. Sir Rateb Rabie, KHS, President of HCEF, will join Fr. Emil Salayta, HCEF co-founder and Latin Catholic priest from the Diocese of Jerusalem; Fr. Majdi al-Siryani, the Director of the Latin Patriarchate Administration of Schools; and Sir Duane Burchick, KHS, the Director of the HCEF Child Sponsorship Program for Christian Education Support, in making the presentation at the church of Rev. Joseph Fenech, pastor of St. Aidan's. They will speak about the current situation in the Holy Land and the ministry of HCEF.
The meeting will inform concerned Christians in Toronto about how they can join together to reach out in solidarity with and support of their brothers and sisters in Christ in the Holy Land through the Toronto Committee of the Holy Land Christian Support Network (HCSN). HCSN committees carry out the work of the foundation on a grassroots level in cities across America by informing Christians about the plight of Holy Land Christians and providing material and spiritual support for their brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. All are invited to attend the meeting and the reception. A flyer/announcement for the presentation can be downloaded at http://www.hcef.org/events/canadaflyer.pdf and circulated.
HCEF encourages all to come and to learn about how together we can help preserve the Christian presence of the Holy Land. Christians today make up only 2% of the population in the Holy Land whereas, in 1948, Christians represented approximately 18% of the population. The Christian population continues to dwindle as curfews, checkpoints, home demolitions, a failed economy, massive unemployment and military invasions impede every day life in Palestine. HCEF sponsors a number of programs to help ameliorate living conditions so that more might be encouraged to remain. The Child Sponsorship Program supports education efforts in the Holy Land's Christian schools. Through its Holy Land Gifts program, HCEF finds markets in America for religious olivewood handcrafts so that craftsmen in the Bethlehem area can maintain their traditional livelihoods. HCEF also encourages partnerships between churches in America and the Holy Land.
For more information about the meeting or to RSVP, you can reach HCEF toll-free at (866) 871-HCEF or by email at news@hcef.org. You can also contact Remon Shekeib in Toronto at (905) 754-5005 or email at remon_shekeib@rogers.com or Randa Rabie in Toronto at (416) 444-9969 or email at randarabie@rogers.com.
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*The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of Christians in the Holy Land through building bonds of solidarity between Christians in America and Christians in the Holy Land. HCEF seeks to 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, Tel: (301) 951-9400, Toll Free (866) 871-HCEF, www.hcef.org, Email: news@hcef.org
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