With Carl Hetù’s passing, thousands of suffering people around the world of all faith traditions lost a friend, protecter and advocate, and the Catholic Church, a humanitarian champion who served faithfully through two global Catholic charities that fulfill Jesus’ command to love our neighbours as ourselves.

After a two-year battle with cancer, Mr. Hétu passed away surrounded by family in the early hours of May 27. He was 66.

The executive director of Development and Peace - Caritas Canada for the past four years, Mr. Hétu had a long career in the overseas development field, including an earlier 14-year stint with D&P from 1990-2004 as an animator for various regions across Ontario. From there, he would take on the directorship of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) Canada, helping shift its focus on longer-term projects while at the same time helping reorganize its headquarter operations.

Advertisement

“Carl’s passing is an immeasurable loss, not only to his family but to all the countless individuals throughout the Middle East,” Rabea Allos, a prominent Iraqi-Canadian Chaldean (Eastern rite) Catholic activist in the Greater Toronto Area told The Catholic Register.

Allos, who was born in Baghdad, Iraq, was firsthand witness to Mr. Hetu’s faith-inspired service in lands where Christians and other minority groups suffer oppression and injustice in various forms.

“Over our 15 years of friendship and collaboration during his time with CNEWA, I saw firsthand how his profound Catholic faith anchored everything he did, driving his deep compassion for the region,” Allos said. “Whether raising funds or bringing the world’s attention to the horrors faced by Christian minorities in Iraq, Syria, Egypt and the Holy Land, Carl lived out his faith as a tireless champion of the suffering. His legacy of Christ-like service and advocacy will not be forgotten.”

Mr. Hetu travelled extensively in Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Jordan, Lebanon, the Holy Land, Russia and Ukraine, bringing, in the words of St. Francis of Assisi, hope where there is despair and joy where there is sadness.

Advertisement

His battle with cancer did not stop him. He soldiered bravely on, joining a D&P rally on Parliament Hill last September, demanding stronger legislation to stop human rights violations by Canadian corporations operating in the Global South, and attending CNEWA’s “Light in the East” gala in Ottawa in November to celebrate the 20th anniversary of CNEWA Canada and to honour its donors and supporters.

“It is with deep sadness that I received the news of Carl’s passing,” Ottawa-Cornwall Archbishop Marcel Damphousse, chair of CNEWA Canada, said in a statement. “Carl was truly a leader and a man whose faith was put into action. Please join me in praying for the repose of his soul, and for comfort and strength for his family, friends all over the world and all who mourn him.”

In a letter to Adriana Bara, who succeeded Mr. Hetu as Canadian director of CNEWA in 2022, CNEWA’s international president Msgr. Peter Vaccari wrote: “Carl was a man of great integrity, mission and commitment to the social justice doctrine of the Church. He played an important role in the establishment of the presence of CNEWA in Canada and in his representation to the bishops of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.”

Mr. Hetu saw himself as a conduit of Canadians’ love and empathy towards persecuted Christians.

“It was an honour for me to help direct their love to so many people and groups in need,” he once said. “I am eternally grateful for having been entrusted to contribute to CNEWA’s expansion and mission.”

In February 2022, after 18 years of service to CNEWA, he was appointed executive director of D&P, the charitable organization of the Canadian Catholic bishops. He significantly expanded and reinforced its advocacy and development functions. He supported the growth of youth and school programs, established its youth ambassadors program and enhanced D&P’s social media presence. After a year of medical leave that started in September 2024, he resumed charge of his responsibilities in July 2025, and remained engaged in guiding the organization with his fellow directors until the end of his life.

Advertisement

As tributes poured in from around the world, Gabrielle Dupuis, D&P’s current president, pledged to honour his legacy by continuing his mission. 

“We will forever be guided by what he said upon assuming charge as our executive director. We stand united, as one human family, inspired by the Gospel to accompany the most vulnerable and mistreated people on the peripheries of our planet. We won’t rest until dignity and peace are accorded to all.”