Dozens Killed, Priests Targeted, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt A series of brutal attacks on communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt have left at least 36 people dead, with several others injured or abducted, according to reports received by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) from the Diocese of Makurdi. The wave of …
Category archives: Africa
Mauritania: Accueil-Écoute, a hand extended to the most vulnerable
Through practical support and respect for their dignity, the Church in Nouakchott is showing the face of Christ to migrants. In a context where the Gospel can essentially only be proclaimed through action, the Church in Mauritania, supported by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), reawakens the hope of those who thought they were …
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Madagascan Cardinal: “The change has to start with us.”
During his visit to the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana emphasized the urgency of an authentic and committed faith. In the face of many social problems which for a long time have undermined Madagascar, he insists on the importance of pastoral work so that the Gospel may …
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Burkina Faso: Mathieu’s Gethsemane
“Six hundred and ninety-eight, six hundred and ninety-nine, seven hundred.” Mathieu passes pebbles from one side to another. Seven hundred in all, one for each of the Hail Marys he has prayed that night. A night which to him feels like the evening in Gethsemane, in the Garden of Olives, where Jesus also felt alone, …
ACN Success Story – Equatorial Guinea
A minibus for the interdiocesan seminary Equatorial Guinea is a former Spanish colony on the west coast of Central Africa. It is a relatively small country with an area of a little over 28,000 km² and a population of almost two million people. It has immense oil reserves and is therefore by no means one …
Rwanda: “If we lose the young people, we lose society”
Bishop Papias Musengamana of the Diocese of Byumba in Northwest Rwanda recently visited the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). He tells the pontifical charity how his diocese recovered from the almost complete absence of priests after the 1994 genocide and speaks about the meaning of pastoral work with families and …
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Witnesses of Hope
Spring 2025, a New Magazine for ACN Canada Press Release – For Immediate Release Montreal, April 2, 2025 – Hope, the theme of Jubilee 2025, is at the heart of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada’s new Spring 2025 Magazine, available on the national branch’s website at: https://acn-canada.org/magazine/. (Cover photo: a young seminarian from …
Burkina Faso – Church, God’s Family: 125 Years of Evangelization
Burkina Faso is celebrating 125 years of evangelization in a country currently marred by violence and terrorism. The African nation occupies first place on the Global Terrorism Index 2025 and suffers from severe security issues, constant attacks against civilian populations, and entire regions that can only be reached by helicopter. Despite this situation, the Church …
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Sierra Leone: ACN helps Church face trauma after “senseless war”
A project supported by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) aims to train 150 priests to be “agents of reconciliation, healing, social transformation, and national cohesion.” Fr. Peter Konteh was in bed, asleep, when he first heard the explosions. Jumping to his feet, he called out to the other priest in the house to …
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Walking for peace in South Sudan
In a land where walking long distances is usually a sign of distress, an annual pilgrimage for peace is raising questions and changing attitudes. When Pope Francis announced his visit to South Sudan in 2022, young Catholics in the Diocese of Rumbek were naturally excited. “They kept saying they wanted to go and see him,” …