New York- October 19, 2012
During a remarkable event held in New York on October 19, 2012, His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim of Antioch and All The East awarded Mrs. Hala Fares in appreciation of her countless achievements and endless support of her husband former Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Issam Fares. In the presence of the Metropolitan of New York and His Eminence the Most Reverend Philip Saliba, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America, Lebanon's Ambassador Antoine Chedid representing His Excellency the President of the Republic Mr. Michel Sleiman, the Congressman of Lebanese descent Mr. Darrell Issa, the representative of Lebanon to the United Nations Mr. Nawaf Salam, and a number of US diplomats, as well as the heads of the Christian and Muslim communities and the clergy in North America, and a large number of ambassadors, personalities, members of the Lebanese community, and the family's friends, Hala Fares was gifted a valuable icon in appreciation of her role.
It is not the first time that Hala Fares is awarded by high-level international religious dignitaries. On the 23rd of November 2008, Mrs. Fares was decorated by the Moscow Friends Club with the blessing of Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, with the Saint-Elizabeth Medallion in acknowledgement of her valuable charitable works and in recognition of her efforts to promote and enhance the implementation of the Issam Fares Foundation humanitarian, social, and cultural projects’.
It is worth noting also that Hala Fares was also awarded on January 21, 2002 during a remarkable ceremony held at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the Russian Capital of Moscow. Mrs. Fares was the recipient of the award presented by H.B. Patriarch Alexy II who presented her a decoration in appreciation of her generous contribution in the social sphere.
In a ceremony held at the Fares residence in Paris on June 14, 2010 during which H.E. Mr. Issam Fares was offered the high-level Papal Order from the rank of Commander with star of Saint Gregory the Great on behalf of His Holiness Pope Benedictus VXI, His Beatitude the Maronite Patriarch bestowed on Mrs. Hala Fares the Patriarchal icon of Our Lady of Qannoubine in recognition of her humanitarian and social roles. The honoring of Mrs. Hala Fares is of no surprise, knowing her persistent achievements in various arenas, and mainly her very generous contributions worldwide in the educational, social, humanitarian, cultural, and artistic fields.