Gaza City: Two dead and seven injured in attacks on Church grounds

Two women were shot dead by snipers in the church grounds of the Catholic Holy Family parish in Gaza City, on December 16, according to a press release by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, sent to the international charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Seven other people were injured. On the same day, …

Venezuela – “The people are hungry for God.”

Ten years after its creation, a neighbourhood named after Hugo Chávez finally has a parish church. Ciudad Chávez is a neighbourhood in the Venezuelan city of Vargas, in La Guaira Diocese, just a few kilometres away from Maiquetía (Simón Bolívar) International Airport. The neighbourhood was built in 2013, as part of the social program of …

Middle East: When you can’t find joy, create it.

To celebrate this Christmas, ACN is providing 45,000 gifts to needy children in Syria and Lebanon. This year, 35,000 children in Syria and 10,000 in Lebanon will receive Christmas presents in the form of urgently needed clothing. Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is sending close to $700,000 to these two countries, …

“Continue to be generous!” 

Press Release Aid to the Church in Need’s Christmas Campaign 2023 Since December 2nd, the Canadian office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been in the midst of its Christmas campaign, and the generosity of benefactors has been overwhelming. “I’m always moved by the generosity of our benefactors towards their sisters and …

ACN Success Story: Uganda

A minibus to support religious sisters in their ministry The Little Sisters of Saint Francis is a local congregation founded in 1923 by Irish Franciscan Mother Mary Kevin Kearney, who first came to Uganda in 1902. She started with five other sisters, initially working under the shade of a tree, treating the sick and teaching …

Gaza parish damaged by attacks

As the war rages on, Aid to the Church in Need is saving lives in the Holy Land The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem has confirmed that shrapnel from Israeli army strikes on buildings near the Church of the Holy Family destroyed water tanks and solar panels on the roofs of parish structures this past weekend. …

Iraq – “Please God, no more war.”

People in Iraq are terrified that the war in the Holy Land will engulf the region, according to a leading archbishop, who is calling on governments around the world to work to bring peace. These were the words he shared on November 3 during a visit to Westminster Abbey, which John Pontifex of our UK …

Philippines – Deadly attack at Marawi university sparks commotion and fear among local Catholic minority

A bomb detonated on Sunday, December 3, during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University, in the city of Marawi, in southern Philippines. Local sources say that the explosion took the lives of at least four faithful, leaving over 40 injured. The attack was claimed by a group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS). A …

Mali – German priest freed after over a year in captivity

Fr Ha-Jo was aware of the risks to his safety by continuing to work in Mali, but persisted, driven by a desire to improve the situation for the country overall, and to remain with his small Christian community. A German priest who was kidnapped in Mali over a year ago has finally been freed. Hans-Joachim …

Aid to the Church in Need supporting Christians in the Holy Land

The pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has committed an aid package of $262,200 to support the Christians of the Holy Land amid the current crisis. This aid will support impoverished Christians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, as well as Christian migrant workers and asylum seekers in …