CONTACT:
John Rivera
Catholic Relief Services
(410) 951-7399
john.rivera@crs.org
Statement of CRS President Ken Hackett on the Appointment of Archbishop O’Brien as Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
BALTIMORE, Md., August 29, 2011—Catholic Relief Services offers Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien our sincere congratulations on his appointment as pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
As with other Catholics in the Baltimore archdiocese, we at CRS have been privileged to serve under the leadership of Archbishop O’Brien for the past four years. But unlike most here, we can still look forward to working with him in his new position.
While Archbishop O’Brien will be based in Rome, the focus of his work will be in a land where CRS is quite active. We look forward to working with Archbishop O’Brien as he becomes familiar with our extensive programs in the Holy Land and neighboring regions, particularly our work to bring peace to this all-too-often troubled land.
The Baltimore archdiocese has a special place in hearts of Catholics in the United States. That is the main reason that CRS located its headquarters here when we left New York in 1989. Archbishop O’Brien has continued a fine tradition that dates back to the beginning of the church on these shores. We appreciate and celebrate that.
But he will tap into an even deeper tradition when he takes over this 1,000-year-old group charged that supports our sacred sites, and the Christian community around them, in the land where our faith was born. It is a tradition that we at CRS seek to respect and nurture in all that we do, not only in the Holy Land, but around the globe, bringing the hope that is the gospel of Jesus Christ to so many who often feel hopeless in the face of disaster, of poverty, of illness, of hunger.
The people of CRS send our best wishes to Archbishop O’Brien as he embarks on this next endeavor. We are eager to continue and deepen our relationship in the coming years.
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