Thank you! And special thanks to our Mideast donors
Dear reader,
As you know, ZENIT just finished its annual donation campaign. Although we did not reach our fundraising goal, we wanted to acknowledge that so many of you DID respond to our appeal.
The English edition has received $360,000, and some checks remain to be registered. We don't want to let another day pass without saying THANK YOU!
In a very particular way, we want to express our gratitude to generous readers in the Middle East who supported ZENIT this year. We are well aware of the many difficulties you face every day, not the least of which are financial. When ZENIT launched its Arabic edition in 2006 (right before the Pope went to Turkey), we had you in mind.
And Arabic-speaking readers have shown their gratitude.
We received some 80 donations from the Middle East, as well as messages such as the one from Father Semaan Abou Abdou, the superior-general of one of the larger Maronite religious orders in Lebanon (the Mariamites).
Father Semaan noted how Arabic is spoken by some 300 million people and how through ZENIT, these people can read "the Word of God through the teachings of the Pope and the Church."
"We in Lebanon thank you with all our hearts for this tremendous work," he wrote. "[Your edition's value] was evident during the Pope's visit to Jordan and the Holy Land, with his words and sermons being translated into Arabic so that Muslims and Christians in the Arab world can read them. [...] Your work in exposing the Arab world to the teachings of the Church is very useful and very appreciated. [...] May God bless you in this mission."
To all of you who donated to ZENIT this year: Know that your contribution has made this mission possible. You are investing in the success of interreligious dialogue, one of the most urgent needs of this century.
Thank you again for your generosity. In these difficult economic times, your support means even more.
God bless you,
ZENIT
P.S.: If you haven't yet donated to ZENIT this year, it's not too late!
Please visit here for more details:
http://www.zenit.org/english/donation.html
You can see our "donations map," showing the number of donations received by each country, at:
http://www.zenit.org/donations/english/info/map
