A chapel in the village of a vast parish The parish of the Immaculate Conception in Moharpara, in northeast India, lies close to the border with Bangladesh. It includes 31 different villages and serves a population of around 5,000 Catholics, most of them relatively young in age. The parish is vast, and many of the …
Category archives: Asia
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 …
Mongolia – Mini Album Photo
Director of the Press Office of Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN), Maria Lozano has brought back photos of Pope Francis’ historic apostolic visit to Mongolia, which took place from September 1 to 4, 2023. “I imagine entering for the first time, with respect and emotion,” said the Pope, “in one of these …
Philippines – Church joyous and dynamic despite challenges
The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia consisting of 7,641 islands, 2,000 of which are inhabited. The two largest islands, Luzon and Mindanao, account for two thirds of the total surface area and population. The first includes the capital, Manila, and the second is home to most of the Muslim population and has been …
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Mongolia – Historical upcoming visit by Pope Francis
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) set to accompany pope during his visit to the country that forms a bridge between Central and East Asia. Pope Francis will be in Mongolia from September 1 to 4, to visit the very small but growing Catholic community and meet with other religious leaders in the country. …
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Interview – Tabitha: My new life
A Pakistani Christian nurse, who narrowly escaped being lynched by a large mob of people after being accused of blasphemy, has spoken of her joy after arriving in North America to start a new life with her family. Video footage of Tabitha Nazir Gill, now 32, being beaten up by colleagues went viral in early …
ACN Success Story – Pakistan
Sunday school for the children of a very large parish The Holy Spirit parish, based in Sangla Hill, is the largest parish in the Archdiocese of Lahore. It includes a total of 67 villages, many of them far from the parish centre. This is why Father Akmal Patras was determined to give Catholic children living …
Pakistan – Parishioners gather for Mass outside their torched church
There were tears of sadness and fear in Pakistan on Sunday (20th August) as a crowd of 700 attended Mass outside their burnt-out church following one of the country’s worst outbreaks of persecution in a generation. Amid tight security, Bishop Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad presided at the Mass held in the streets of Jaranwala where …
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Pakistan – Christians terrified as mobs burn down churches and homes
Several church buildings—between 13 and 17, according to sources—have been attacked and hundreds of Christian homes destroyed after extremists went on the rampage in Pakistan. Christians from the city of Jaranwala, near Faisalabad, in the Punjab region, fled en masse as extremists began throwing rocks and stones and setting fire to buildings. The incident follows …
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India, Manipur – Pray for an end to the suffering!
A Catholic archbishop in northeast India, who has seen his diocese at the centre of a wave of deadly attacks, has issued an urgent appeal for prayers “to transform the minds of the people who are led by hatred and religious violence”. In a letter to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Archbishop Dominic …
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