Project of the Week – Democratic Republic of the Congo

Two motorcycles for the pre-seminary in Kasongo The propaedeutic, or pre-seminary, in the Diocese of Kasongo, lies in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the population—unlike in other parts of the country—has a Muslim majority. The seminary was founded in 1936 and soon afterwards began to take in candidates from …

Argentinian Patagonia: mission country

The Church in Patagonia faces unique challenges marked by vast distances, great diversity, and a lack of resources. One of the bishops in charge of overseeing the development of the Church in this vast territory of Argentina is Msgr. Roberto Álvarez, who sat down with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) to share his …

War trauma affecting the heart of Ukrainian society, says head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Ukraine – Ten years after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, ACN will dedicate its 2024 Lent to standing by the suffering Church in the country and helping it bring God’s healing love. Speaking during a conference organized by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) to mark the anniversary of the beginning of …

Mozambique – Communities and churches attacked as insurgency intensifies in Cabo Delgado

Missionaries, priests, and religious sisters have been forced to flee from remote towns and villages to Pemba and other large cities, which are overwhelmed with displaced people. According to information provided to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) by missionaries on the ground, several new and simultaneous attacks by armed insurgents continue to shake …

Project of the Week – Ecuador

Supporting the prison apostolate in the Archdiocese of Guayaquil Overall, violence is growing alarmingly in Latin America. Ecuador is the sixth worst among the countries affected by this problem. In the years 2021 to 2022 alone, the number of killings increased by over 80%. In the port city of Guayaquil, which has close to three …

Venezuela marks 140 years of the first Lourdes pilgrimage in the Americas

The pilgrimage was instituted in 1884 by Fr. Machado, the Venezuelan priest in the Diocese of La Guaira, after returning from a trip to the famous shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes in France. Tony Pereira, a lay member of the current organizing committee, spoke to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the …

Thirty Christians have died to date as humanitarian situation worsens

Holy Land – Gaza Strip According to sources contacted by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the humanitarian situation and living conditions for the small Christian community which remains in the Gaza Strip has deteriorated in recent months. In the four months since the beginning of the conflict, 30 Christians have died in Gaza. …

José Si Esono, the catechist who gave his life for the faith

Central Africa – Equatorial Guinea During a visit to the head office of Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Miguel Angel Nguema Bee, from the Diocese of Ebebiyin, recounted the moving story of the first catechist to be martyred in Equatorial Guinea. His name was José Si Esono and the local …

ACN Project of the Week-Cameroon and Central African Republic

Help for the training of 42 young Carmelites Even as a child, Jean-Thierry Ebogo had nurtured a secret dream – to be like Jesus! And to do so, he planned to become a priest. It was the year 2003 when as a young man, he finally entered the Carmelite monastery of Nkoabang in Cameroon. He …

ACN – Earthquake in Syria: More than $1.82 million of funding

Speaking one year after the terrible earthquake that affected Syria and Turkey, Xavier Stephen Bisits, ACN’s head of section for Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt, summed up the impact of the natural disaster: “February 6 was a turning point in the life of most families in Northern Syria. I will never forget the scenes in the …