High-Level Week at the United Nations: Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher Heads Holy See Delegation
Image source: United Nations Media
The Holy See Mission welcomed Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See, to New York this month. Archbishop Gallagher served as Head of the Holy See Delegation to the High-Level week at the beginning of the 78th General Assembly.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher Delivers Statement to the General Assembly
On 26 September, 2023, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, delivered a statement at the General Debate of the 78th Session of the General Assembly. The theme was "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all." In his remarks, Archbishop Gallagher offered an overview of the Holy See's position on a wide variety of topics, from religious freedom, to the ethics of artificial intelligence, to the war in Ukraine.
"It has become increasingly evident that in the multipolar world of the twenty-first century, the pursuit of peace is closely related to the need for security and reflection on the most efficient means for guaranteeing it. Such reflection must necessarily consider the fact that global security needs to be integral, capable of embracing issues including access to food and water, respect for the environment, health care, energy sources and the equitable distribution of the world’s goods.”[6]"
–Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, at the General Debate of the 78th Session of the General Assembly
Other Holy See Statements at the United Nations
Click the title to read the full statement.
Holy See Mission Organizes Annual U.N. Prayer Service on September 5
Photo by Tracy Young
Each year since 1986, on the occasion of the opening of the new session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See has organized a Prayer Service for the United Nations Diplomatic Community and personnel, together with religious leaders from the New York area.
This year's Evening Prayer Service took place on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, which marked the beginning of the 78th Session of the General Assembly, at the Church of the Holy Family. His Excellency, Most Reverend Frank Dewane, Bishop of Venice (Florida), delivered the meditation on the double anniversary that falls this year: 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 60 years of Pope St. John XXIII’s Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris.
Prayers were offered in gratitude for all that has been accomplished during the 77th Session of the General Assembly, and for the success of the upcoming 78th Session.
Life of the Mission
Photos by Tracy Young
Mass with Archbishop Gallagher
On September 25, 2023, Archbishop Gallagher celebrated Mass at the Church of the Holy Family for the Holy See Mission community and friends in New York. The Mass and reception that followed marked the end of a successful High-Level Week.
Welcome, Fall Interns!
The Holy See Mission welcomed in nine new interns for the Fall semester. They are pictured below with Archbishop Caccia.
From left to right, top row: Mr. Matthew Kluge (USA), Mr. Francesco Teruggi (Italy), Mr. Josemaría Rodríguez Conca (Chile), Mr. Max Yun (Canada).
Bottom row: Ms. Camila Salcedo-Espitia (Colombia/USA), Ms. Terese Bernatonyte (Lithuania), Archbishop Caccia, Ms. Isabella Reed (United Kingdom/Italy), and Ms. Miriam Green (Ireland/United Kingdom).
Interested in becoming an intern for the Holy See Mission? See below for details!
Since 2015, the Holy See Mission has had 162 interns from 37 countries.
The internship program provides the opportunity for bright, Catholic, English-speaking college graduates or graduate students to gain experience assisting the Holy See in its multilateral work at the UN, seeking to bring the light of Catholic Social Teaching to the debates of the international community.
Our interns are integral to the work of the Holy See at the United Nations. They attend various UN meetings, conferences, and debates, and then prepare reports that, once reviewed, are sent to the Holy See’s central offices in the Vatican. Our interns also assist with the Mission’s conferences, receptions, and cultural events.
There are three internship cycles each year: Fall, Spring, and Summer, and eight internship positions are available per cycle. The Mission is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2024 session, which will run from January through May 2024.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
The Mission celebrated four birthdays in September: Ms. Isabella Reed, Ms. Hélène Chazal, Ms. Terese Bernatonyte, and Mr. Josemaría Rodríguez.
Sr. Sonia, Sr. Silvia, and Sr. Carmen celebrated the 78th anniversary of the founding of their religious order, Mater Orphanorum, Mother of Orphans, on September 8.