Easter Message 2023
from
Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, M.Afr., Patron
and
John Adam Fox, Chairman & Trustee
Maundy Thursday, 2023
Dear Friends of FACE,
On behalf of the trustees and all our team at Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE), we should like to offer you our best wishes for a blessed Paschal Triduum and a happy Easter.
As Easter approaches, all come to rejoice with renewed faith in the power of the Risen Lord. Please pray for Eastern Christians, many of whom are suffering from the effects of war and discrimination. We think of those in Ukraine who are dispossessed and displaced, but also of those in Ethiopia, and of the many suffering from the recent earthquake in Turkey and also in Syria where the disaster is compounded by the ongoing war.
It must be difficult for such Christians to celebrate Easter with joy. We could apply to them the words of the Psalmist (slightly transformed): “How can we sing the praises of the Lord in such situations?” (Ps 137:4). Yet in their strong faith they know that destruction and death do not have the last word. May the joy and blessings of Easter fill their hearts – and ours – with hope, so that together we may all come to rejoice with renewed faith in the power of the Risen Lord.
We take the occasion of this Eastertide to recall all that we owe the Eastern Churches: the first preaching of the Gospel, the early Church Fathers and, above all, the witness of the Eastern Christians down the centuries which has been, and still is, an inspiration to our faith. This will be remembered particularly on the Sixth Sunday of Easter when we all observe the International Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians (https://facecharity.org/day-of-prayer-for-eastern-christians-14-may-2023).
Our Catholic charity, FACE, strives to contribute to the preservation of the heritage of the Eastern Churches so that Eastern Christians may remain a living testament to the roots, legitimacy and beneficence of the Christian presence in the Middle East and continue to be mediators of peace and goodwill in their multi-faith communities. We would like to express our appreciation for the support you have given to FACE’s mission over the past year.
With our gratitude, we express again our warmest wishes and prayers for a blessed Paschal Triduum and a joyful Easter.
+ Michael, Cardinal Fitzgerald, M.Afr.
Patron
John Adam Fox
Chairman
Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE)
Our charity, Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE), relies on donations to deliver its mission of helping Eastern Christians to remain in their homelands – the biblical lands – where Christianity was born and first spread.
Together with the local Christian communities, we aim to bring lasting change to those regions through education, healthcare, pastoral support and community projects.
We strive to preserve the heritage of the Eastern Churches so that Eastern Christians remain a living testament to the roots, legitimacy and beneficence of the Christian presence in the Middle East and the wider region.