High-Level Forum on the
Culture of Peace
On September 7, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, delivered a statement during the UN High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace on the theme "Transformative Role of The Culture of Peace: Promoting Resilience and Inclusion in Post-Covid recovery," held at the UN Headquarters in New York.
In his statement, he noted that peace begins in the family, in friendships, and in everyday human interactions between persons. He stressed that COVID-19 recovery mechanisms will be "most resilient and genuinely inclusive when they are grounded in open kindness and fraternity."
He called attention to the need to put the poor and those on the margins of society first when working toward a social and economic recovery from COVID-19. In this regard, he said a truly sustainable recovery should give each person the possibility of realizing his or her potential.
Finally, Archbishop Caccia noted that post-COVID-19 recovery efforts should consider the the environment, noting that recovery efforts that prioritize care for the environment result in care for the poor and contribute to a culture of peace.
His remarks can be read in full here.
2021 Prayer Service for the UN Community
Each year since 1986, on the occasion of the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations has sponsored a prayer service for the United Nations Diplomatic Community and personnel, together with religious and ecumenical leaders in the New York area.
This year the Prayer Service will take place Monday, September 13, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Family, 315 East 47th Street in Manhattan, a block from the United Nations.
Prayers will be offered in gratitude for all that the United Nations has accomplished during the challenging 75th Session of the General Assembly and for the success of the 76th Session. It will also be an occasion to entrust to God the needs of so many still suffering from COVID-19, the protection of our common home in anticipation of the COP-26 in Glasgow, our efforts for peace in view of the many conflicts that still plague our world, the upcoming International Day for the Total elimination of Nuclear Weapons, our work for racial and social harmony upon the 20th Anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, as well as prayers for the poor, refugees, and migrants, and continued growth in fraternity, solidarity and multilateralism as we conclude the UN’s landmark 75th Session.
Bishop Gregory Mansour, Maronite Bishop of the Eparchy of Brooklyn, will give the Meditation. Secretary-General António Guterres will address those in attendance by video. H.E. Abdullah Shahid, will also deliver prepared remarks on the eve of his becoming the President of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly. Music will be provided by the choir of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, led by James Wetzel.
Attendance will be capped at 150 attendees and COVID protocols of the Archdiocese of New York will be followed.
To register for the event, please click here.
New Interns Arrive
at the Holy See Mission
The Fall 2021 Interns at the United Nations. From left to right we have: Elizabeth Sadusky, Camilla Magis, Lauren Frawley, Kristine Leonardo, Ewa Rejman, Daisy Vanderputt, and Harry Rawcliffe. Not pictured: Peter Corkery.
NEW YORK — On August 30, the Holy See Mission welcomed eight interns for the September through December 2021 Session of the United Nations.
They hail originally from Canada, Germany, Poland, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Peter Corkery is from Ontario, Canada and where he gained a two-year degree in Catholic Studies from Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College. He later gained a BA in Political Science and Economics from Christendom College, defending a final thesis on the political-economic philosophies of Chesterton, Belloc, and Schumacher within the context of Catholic Social Teaching. For the last two years he has been studying International Relations at the Universita Degli Studia di Siena, where he is pursuing a Master's degree in Public and Cultural Diplomacy. Peter decided to apply to the Mission’s internship following a desire to work at the intersection of Catholic Social Teaching and world politics. His hope is to put his talents to work in service of the Church while expanding his knowledge of International Relations and practical diplomacy.
Lauren Frawley was born and raised in New York. She graduated from Baruch College, majoring in History and Political Science, where she focused on the moral foundation of politics. She became Catholic during her university studies and was filled with a desire to insert herself into the Church’s Mission. She says she is "privileged to serve the Holy See Mission" and looks forward to "promoting integral development and elevating Catholic Social Teaching, which I view as the fullest expression of human dignity in practice.”
Kristine Leonardo was born and raised in the Philippines. In 2017, she moved to the United States to attend Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. She recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations with minors in French and Criminal Justice. She is currently a candidate for a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations with specializations in International Law and Human Rights, and International Organizations. In the Fall of 2020, she interned for the Immigration Department of the International Rescue Committee in New York. Her experiences as a delegate to the 2016 World Youth Day in Kraków, Poland, as well as the legacy that St. Pope John Paul II left on the Filipino youth during his visits to the Philippines, drew her to apply for the internship. She is excited to grow as "an aspiring international human rights lawyer" while at the Mission.
Camilla Magis is from Germany and recently graduated from the University of Warwick, UK, with an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Before university, she served as a volunteer in Cameroon, where she worked in a Catholic Primary School as well as at the German Cultural Institute. There she witnessed the day-to-day realities of development work and learned about the importance of respecting the subsidiarity of nations and communities. Looking ahead to her time at the Mission, Camilla says she looks forward to "working every day for the good of all people, no matter their background."
Harry Rawcliffe is from Preston, a city in North West England. He graduated from the University of Oxford (New College) in 2018 with a Bachelors in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Raised Catholic, Harry was influenced during his teenage years by retreats and pilgrimages to Lourdes. After graduating, Harry spent three years working in youth ministry, working with teams of young people and leading retreats and missions for school and parish groups. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Harry volunteered with the Jesuit Refugee Service UK and as a volunteer vaccinator. He hopes the internship with the Holy See Mission will offer him a fresh and different perspective on the work of the universal Church, complementing his studies and his desire integrate his faith with his professional life.
Ewa Rejman is a lawyer from Poland, who graduated from the University of Wrocław in 2021. She spent part of her studies in Bologna, Italy, where she focused on international law. She works as a journalist for the Polish edition of Aleteia. She was the Chapter Coordinator for World Youth Alliance Poland for 2020-21. She also served as an intern at the Institute of Justice and as a legal analyst for the Warsaw Higher School of the Justice System. She is excited to be at the Holy See Mission because she says “it is a unique opportunity to combine my passion for human rights with Catholic Social Teaching principles and get involved in the work of the Holy See in the international arena.”
Elizabeth Sadusky comes from Minnesota where she graduated from the University of St. Thomas with degrees in International Studies and History. She earned her Master’s degree in Nationalism Studies and an advanced certificate in Religious Studies from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary and Vienna, Austria. She served as a development intern with the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington D.C. She is looking forward to gaining firsthand experience in international affairs and diplomacy.
Daisy Vanderputt, originally from Salisbury, UK, has spent the last four years at the University of Birmingham doing a Bachelor's in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics and a Master's in Global Cooperation and Security. Throughout her time at university, Daisy was involved in a number of pro-life advocacy projects, such as founding Birmingham Students for Life, interning with Right to Life, and working for Life Matters – a charity that supports women in crisis pregnancy situations. Daisy is also currently enrolled in Areté Academy, hosted by Alliance Defending Freedom. Daisy applied for the internship to gain experience and a deeper understanding of how to advocate for truth and justice in international affairs.
The interns received four days of intense training at the beginning of their term, which covered Holy See Diplomacy, the work of the Holy See Mission at the UN, the workings at the UN, various writing exercises to help them learn the literary form necessary for diplomatic reports, briefings from the staff members on their areas of expertise and more. They also had a chance to develop a sense of teamwork, receive a tour of the United Nations, and get introduced to New York City.
Several of the interns were awarded Viscogliosi Brothers Fellowships, a special sponsorship program for interns, to make their internship feasible.
Those interested in finding out more about internships of the Holy See, or applying for future sessions, are encouraged to visit the Holy See Mission’s website and click the link for internship program.
Path to Peace Gala
November 16, 2021
New York, NY — UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will be awarded the prestigious Path to Peace Award by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and President of the Path to Peace Foundation at the Foundations’s annual gala on November 16, 2021 at Guastavino's in Manhattan.
Guterres was originally scheduled to receive the award in May 2020, but the 2020 Gala was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guterres was chosen by the Path to Peace Foundation Board in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and its long-term commitment to securing peace in the world.
"The Path to Peace Foundation will honor the United Nations’ work for peace during the last 75 years and support its continuing efforts to bring an end to hostilities,” said Archbishop Caccia in announcing Guterres as the honoree.
“The first pillar of the U.N. Charter, written as World War II horrors were concluding, is to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.’ During the past 75 years, the United Nations has worked to make and build lasting peace, which must be achieved anew by every generation,” Archbishop Caccia added.
He also indicated that the Path to Peace Foundation will honor the particular contributions of Secretary-General Guterres “for his many years of service in the cause of peace, as the ninth Secretary-General, and previously as United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Prime Minister of Portugal, and in multiple other roles stretching back decades.”
Prior to Christmas in 2019, Mr. Guterres met with Pope Francis in the Vatican and together they recorded an unprecedented joint appeal that the peace on earth and good will to all men and women marked by Jesus’ birth might irradiate all situations of war and places where human dignity is violated.
Mr. Guterres will be the third U.N. Secretary-General of the United Nations to receive the Path to Peace Award, following Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1993) and Kofi Annan (2000). The award has been bestowed on Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Presidents and Prime Ministers, Vatican Secretaries of State, Ambassadors, Grand Masters, courageous Archbishops, and heroes in the humanitarian and peace-building fields.
The Path to Peace Foundation was established in 1991 to support the Holy See Mission and spread the message of peace by which the Catholic Church, through the words and activities of the Pope and of the Holy See, strives to “guide our steps into the path of peace” (Lk 1:79). The Foundation is tax-exempt 501c3 foundation.
Funds raised allow the Path to Peace Foundation, among other things, to help the Holy See Mission to keep a vigorous presence at the United Nations and to bring the light of Catholic Social teaching to problems in the world. The Foundation also keeps at the forefront of considerations matters of conscience, peace, justice, the dignity of every person, interreligious harmony, the good of the family, the poor and the environment.
To REGISTER or for more information go to holyseemission.org/rsvp/PathtoPeaceGala2021