USCCB president appoints Maronite Catholic bishop as CRS chairman

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops appointed Maronite Bishop Gregory Mansour to be chairman of the board of directors of Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops' overseas relief and development agency.

Bishop Mansour heads the Eparchy of St. Maron in Brooklyn, New York. His appointment is for a three-year term. He succeeds Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, whose three-year term as chairman ended during the U.S. bishops' annual fall general assembly, held Nov. 14-16 in Baltimore.

"Bishop Mansour's long-standing service in every area of the work of CRS is completed by his pastoral concern for the humanitarian efforts of CRS in the Middle East and on behalf of persecuted Christians," Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, USCCB president, said in a Nov. 22 statement.

A CRS board member since 2012, Bishop Mansour has served on the Baltimore-based agency's Overseas Operations and Audit committees as well as the Advisory Committee on Catholic Identity.

"I am at once humbled and honored to be able to lead an organization so committed to assisting our brothers and sisters in need wherever they live," the bishop said. "Over the years, I've seen the great work done on behalf of Catholics in the United States to ease the suffering and improve the quality of life of millions of people living in extreme poverty or fleeing conflict around the world. It is truly an honor to be part of this great organization carrying out the Gospel."

As a board member, Bishop Mansour has traveled to Lebanon and Jordan to witness firsthand the Syrian refugee crisis, and also to Egypt and El Salvador, where CRS works on programs on peacebuilding and for at-risk youth, respectively.

In a Nov. 15 presentation at the Baltimore assembly, Bishop Mansour called on his brother bishops to draw wider attention to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.

In his statement, Cardinal DiNardo thanked Archbishop Coakley for "his tireless work as chairman of the CRS board over the past three years. His leadership, most particularly in those areas of assistance to those in regions of conflict and poverty, is deeply appreciated."

Carolyn Woo, president and CEO of CRS, said of Bishop Mansour: "I know everyone at CRS looks forward to his leadership as we work together to address a wide variety of challenges that affect so many members of God's family."

She also said she was grateful for Archbishop Coakley's "leadership, guidance and support."

"He unfailingly responded to all our inquiries promptly with valuable spiritual and practical wisdom," Woo added. "He demonstrated enthusiasm for our work and affirmation for all our colleagues, particularly those at the front line."

Bishop Mansour was named by St. John Paul II to head the Eparchy of St. Maron in January 2004. He was ordained in Lebanon by the Maronite patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, in March 2004.

Born in Flint, Michigan, in 1955, he graduated from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with a bachelor's degree in health education. He studied for the priesthood at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary in Washington and was ordained to the priesthood in 1982.

Bishop Mansour also has a bachelor's degree in theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington and a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

The Eparchy of St. Maron covers the District of Columbia and 16 Eastern states and includes 45 churches, a seminary and a convent. With more than 3.3 million members, the Maronite Catholic Church is one of the largest Eastern Catholic Churches in the world.

With the announcement of CRS' new chairman also comes the election of three new board members, who will serve three-year terms beginning in January. Two are bishops chosen by the USCCB —Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee and Bishop Gregory Parkes of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida. The third is a lay board member selected by the CRS board — Stephen Walsh, former chief investment officer of Western Asset Management Co.

Three board members just completed their three-year terms: Judge Geraldine Rivera of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Bishop William Callahan of La Crosse, Wisconsin; and Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Florida.

http://www.crs.org/

Cheesy video at link (1:08)

How CRS came about

In 1943, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the United States established Catholic Relief Services to help war-torn Europe and its refugees recover. During World War II, CRS’ work focused on the resettlement of war refugees in Europe. Today, more than 70 years later, our mission continues to focus on the poor overseas, using the gospel of Jesus Christ as our mandate. We continually seek to help those most in need, providing assistance on the basis of need, without regard to race, creed or nationality.

CRS expands

In the 1950s, as Europe regained its balance, the agency began to look to other parts of the world, seeking out those who could benefit from the assistance of Catholics in the United States. For the next two decades, Catholic Relief Services expanded its operations and opened offices in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

Disaster relief & breaking the cycle of poverty

During this time of expansion, CRS built on its tradition of providing relief in emergency situations and began to seek ways to help people in the developing world break the cycle of poverty through community-based, sustainable development initiatives. These programs — which today include agricultural initiatives, community banks, health, education and clean water projects — ensure that the local population is the central participant in its own development and that a project can be sustained through the effort and resources of the local community.

Continuing commitment

In the 1990s, the presence of Catholic Relief Services in the aftermath of natural disasters like Hurricane Mitch in Central America or man-made tragedies, such as Kosovo, was complemented by a continuing commitment to the development of civil society in these areas.

Here and now

Today, CRS continues to work in creating a more just and prosperous world for all. Since the early 2000s, CRS has applied a theory of change grounded in the concept of Integral Human Development, or IHD, which promotes the good of every person and the whole person.

IHD, as found in Catholic social teaching, supports the ability of each individual to realize his or her full human potential in the context of just and peaceful relationships, a thriving environment and solidarity with others.

IHD is the sustained growth that everyone has the right to enjoy and represents an individual’s cultural, physical, natural, economic, political, social and spiritual wholeness. IHD includes enjoying family, society and nature, as well as the gifts that come from learning new things, from earning a dignified living and contributing to a rich civil life.

True Integral Human Development is a long-term, dynamic process based on human dignity and right relations. It means working with a variety of actors to transform the way that societies live, heal and structure their relationships. Progress toward IHD is achieved through active engagement with others in a just and peaceful society that respects the sacredness of life and the dignity of every person.

IHD is a central component of the CRS agency strategy and the work CRS does with its partners. The IHD concept is relevant for both the poor we serve overseas and the Catholic community and other people of goodwill in the United States. It affirms human development cannot be reduced or separated into component parts.

CRS is about bringing a vision to life, and the IHD concept provides the basis of our vision. Through the IHD conceptual framework, we can more clearly understand the world of the poor, including their strengths and their needs, so we can guide effective programming.

That is one large diocese.

It's even larger and encompasses half the country. There are only 2 Maronite bishops in the US. Despite the long distances, Bishop Gregory visits each parish at least once, throughout the year.

It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Brooklyn to Albany, the Capital Region. On Mother's Day, our parish hosted the relics of St. Charbel. Bishop Gregory drove up to celebrate mass and was joined by Albany's RC Bishop Edward Scharfenberger (originally from Brooklyn). They concelebrated the mass and carried the relics in a procession around the church. Local media covered this: Many gather at Watervliet church to see holy relic of Saint Charbel Makhluf

This was the first time Bishop Scharfenberger had ever attended a Maronite liturgy. Afterwards, he turned to all assembled and, choking back tears, spoke of how moved he was by the intense spirituality of the prayers. It was a truly special day. We now look forward to Bishop Gregory's visit on Dec. 22 for the Christmas Novena. It consists of 9 orations. It concludes with Eucharistic Adoration and this beautiful hymn. Here is a sample

From heaven God has sent His Son, Pure light of grace
who hid Himself in Mary's womb to join our race.
His star appeared in Eastern Lands as prophets said
And Kings adored, instructed by the light it shed.
Halel, Halel, Halelounoh

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