Abbot Elias Lorenzo has served as a religious leader for more than three decades. Since 2016, he has held responsibilities as abbot president of the American-Cassinese Congregation, an international Catholic association of 25 Benedictine monasteries in six countries. Alongside his work in the Catholic church, Abbot Elias Lorenzo has participated in Operation Smile missions in seven countries across Asia and Central and South America. Since its founding in 1982, Operation Smile has provided free surgeries for hundreds of thousands of children and young adults living with conditions such as cleft palate and cleft lip. The nonprofit organization is able to continue providing surgeries and other services in underserved communities thanks to the support of volunteers and its various supporting partners. In a June 2019 press release, Operation Smile and the Baxter International Foundation, Inc., announced a new $2.2 million grant that will help support health centers in four Indian cities. The grant will support the centers over the next three years in their work providing surgical cleft care. The health systems in these cities and other areas of India are challenged in meeting the health care needs of the local population, including those with untreated cleft lips and cleft palates. With the grant from Baxter International, however, Operation Smile will have the resources to educate and train local health care workers in delivering high-quality patient care. Ultimately, the grant will reach close to 300,000 people. Beneficiaries include patients and health care workers at the Operation Smile center in Durgapur, which opened in early 2019. More information about Operation Smile's work in India and other countries is available at www.operationsmile.org.
