Since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, at the end of February 2026, the southern border of Lebanon has again become a war zone. In this context of increased violence, Fr. Maroun Youssef Ghafari, the Maronite parish priest of Alma Sha’b, on the border with Israel, has decided to stay with his …
Continue reading ““We will stay, despite the war,” says priest in southern Lebanon”
Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) calls for prayers for Fr. Pierre El Rai, a Maronite priest from the Maronite Diocese of Tyre and a project partner of the charity in southern Lebanon, who was killed amid the current escalation of violence in the region. According to information received by ACN, the …
Continue reading “ACN calls for prayers for Fr. Pierre El Rai, killed in southern Lebanon”
The return of war to the Middle East has reopened old wounds and many Christians are again contemplating leaving the region. A drone strike last Wednesday (4 March) damaged Church-owned buildings in Ankawa, the Christian-majority district of Erbil in northern Iraq, raising fresh fears among local Christians about their future in the region amid escalating …
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On February 18, Ash Wednesday, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada launched its Lent campaign under the theme, You keep the mission alive! Montreal, March 5, 2026 — “This year, we are highlighting missionaries who, throughout the world, carry out their work with remarkable generosity and a faith in humanity that sometimes defies …
Continue reading “You are the guardians of the missionaries!”
Over 30,000 displaced as violence escalates in Lebanon Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has remained in contact with project partners in the areas affected by airstrikes, assessing the need for emergency assistance. (Banner photo: archive from May 2025, when the southern region of the country was hit by destructive bombardments.) Nearly 30,000 people …
Continue reading “Lebanon: “Missiles are flying over our heads””
Königstein-Montreal, March 2, 2026 – As tensions rise once again across the Middle East, the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) warns that a further escalation of violence could have devastating consequences for Christian communities throughout the region. “The Christian presence in the Middle East must not die out,” said Regina …
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The Vatican has officially confirmed that this coming April, Pope Leo will visit Algeria, making this the first-ever visit from a current pope. Leo XIV, who is an Augustinian by formation, will visit Algiers and Hippo Regius – the historical name of Annaba – following in the footsteps of St. Augustine. In this interview with …
In Eastern Ukraine, people have grown numb to the danger of air raids but faith is growing. A bishop tells ACN that “without your help, we would be like refugees.” For much of the world, and even for many people inside Ukraine, the war with Russia began in 2022 with the launch of the full-scale …
Continue reading “Ukraine: “You did not only give us food, but a taste of God””
The generosity of countless Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) benefactors, from Canada and elsewhere in the world, has helped keep the Church in Ukraine alive and ready to continue helping those suffering most from the full-scale invasion of 2022. When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, millions of people …
Continue reading “Four years of ACN support in war-torn Ukraine”
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada is launching an emergency campaign for Cuba, where the population is facing an extremely difficult situation. Montreal, February 18, 2026 – Due to the fuel blockade and sanctions against the country, the socio-economic situation, which was already precarious, has become simply unsustainable in Cuba. “According to our …
