A presbytery for a new parish Sierra Leone’s recent history has been a painful one. Indeed, the consequences of the country’s bloody civil war can still be felt today. Between 1991 and 2002, half the population was uprooted and forced to flee, thousands of people were murdered, and to this day poverty, unemployment, and corruption …
Author archives: mariobard
Iraq – Looking for leaders to help rebuild the Church
A gathering of almost 2,000 young Christians in Iraq provides hope for the future and encourages new generations to stay and invest in their country and in their community. International charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) helps make this project a reality. Over 1,800 young Christians from seven archdioceses and over 60 parishes …
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Pakistan – Defender of religious freedom single-handedly stops mob
Religiously, Pakistan is a diverse country. In many respects, Christians are second-class citizens in this country, with a population that is 95 percent Muslim. They face discrimination, kidnappings, and forced conversions to Islam, and anyone who “defiles” the Quran or insults Muhammad can face life imprisonment or the death penalty. Yet the country also has …
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Cameroon – A new cathedral for the Diocese of Maroua-Mokolo
Today, Saturday, July 8, this is the consecration of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, in the city of Maroua—part of the Far North Region of Cameroon. This step will conclude the nine-year construction project in the heart of the Maroua-Mokolo Diocese, supported by international pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need …
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ACN Success Story-Zambia
114 bicycles for catechists in a rural diocese Almost everywhere in Africa, priests can count on catechists who offer crucial support. Indeed, in the many geographically extensive parishes, it is the catechists who teach and help people grow in their faith, often in very remote villages. They also help prepare them for the reception of …
ACN Project of the Week – Ukraine
Helping to support internally displaced persons in a church youth centre The war in Ukraine has prompted the greatest wave of refugees since the Second World War. In total, almost 15 million people have been forced to flee—around seven million of these within their own country. Many have found shelter in Church-run facilities. Currently, 98 …
Democratic Republic of the Congo – The Church at the bottom of a mine
Despite the extreme poverty of its population, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the main suppliers of rare minerals in the world. The Church is committed to ensuring that miners are treated more fairly. They live far from the cities and can only imagine what the ugly grey rocks they extract from …
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Myamar – Calls for prayers
Myanmar: Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) calls for prayers for new bishop of Kayah State International charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) calls for prayers on the occasion of the episcopal ordination, on June 29, Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, of Msgr. Celso Ba Shwe as bishop of Loikaw, capital …
Project of the Week – India
Aid for the renovation of a convent The Handmaids of Mary, an Indigenous women’s congregation, was founded in 1944 to care for those on the margins of society, in particular the women and children of the disadvantaged ethnic minorities and the Dalits (previously known as the untouchables)—members of the lowest class in society. Today, the …
India – Government-sponsored Hindu nationalism at root of interreligious clashes in Manipur
Local Church sources have little doubt that the clashes that have pitted Hindus against Christians in the state of Manipur are part of a wider agenda to encourage the Hindu base to vote for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in upcoming elections. The fierce clashes that have been going on for weeks in the …