A vehicle for a parish at the foot of a volcano Father Luis Francisco Morales Reyes is in charge of the parish of Siquinalá, Escuintla, in the south of Guatemala. It has a population of just over 26,000 people, around 60% of whom are Catholics. Most of the rest of the population are members of …
Category archives: Americas
Project of the Week – Colombia
Subsistence aid for religious sisters in Ipiales The order of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was founded in Spain in the 15th century. Today its work is mainly focused on Latin America, while most of its convents in Europe are found in Spain. However, it also has convents in India and Africa (Equatorial …
In Haiti, “it’s about surviving,” says Bishop Quesnel of Fort-Liberté
Gang violence, forced migration, and poverty continue to plague Haiti. In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the Bishop of Fort-Liberté, Quesnel Alphonse, speaks of looting by gangs, the growing influence of Islam, and the trauma of a population that “feels completely lost.” *** The cover photo was taken in 2017. …
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ACN Project of the Week – Ecuador
A vehicle for a parish in the Andes The parish of San José de Cuatro Esquinas (Saint Joseph of the Four Corners) in the Diocese of Guaranda lies at an altitude of well over 10,000 feet (3,100 m), around 8 km from the city of Guaranda, capital of Bolivar Province. It includes over 50 villages …
Mexico: “The hardest thing is telling a child their father has been killed.”
In one of the most dangerous states in Mexico, the Worker Sisters help children who are exposed to violence. With support from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), they also train novices who grew up in difficult environments, preparing them to bring hope to vulnerable communities. “One of our children saw his father be …
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Haiti on the brink: bishops issue a “cry of alarm” for peace
In the face of rampant violence which is paralyzing Port-au-Prince and isolating Haiti from the rest of the world, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Haiti, in a message received by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), calls on the government to act and appeals to every Haitian to work for peace and overcome hatred. …
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Colombia – Bombing destroys bishops’ residence and offices in Apostolic Vicariate of Guapi
A powerful explosion in a violent terrorist attack, aimed at the police station in the city of Guapi, in southwest Colombia, left three people dead and destroyed a large part of the bishop’s residence and offices of the Apostolic Vicariate of Guapi, in the early hours of November 2nd. The explosion left the Church buildings …
ACN Project – Guatemala
Booklets honouring the martyrs of Quiché The civil war in Guatemala dragged on for 36 years before finally coming to an end in 1996. It was one of the most brutal armed conflicts in all Latin America, in which at least 200,000 people were killed, while tens of thousands more simply disappeared without a trace. …
ACN Success Story – Brazil
A riverboat for an Amazonian parish The Diocese of Humaitá lies deep in the Amazon region and serves a vast area of around 135,000 km². Most of it is covered by rainforest, however, and is only sparsely populated. Many of the communities lie on the riverbanks and can only be reached via water. The river …
Venezuela – Bishops encourage citizens to vote in upcoming elections
“The Venezuelan people know that the future is in their hands.” In a joint statement, the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana – CEV) highlights the crucial role of the people in defining the country’s future in the elections scheduled for July 28. Venezuela is preparing for presidential elections in 2024 and legislative elections in …
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