Project of the Week – Pakistan

Support for the training of 63 catechists in Khushpur Khushpur, in the Faisalabad District of the province of Punjab, is the largest Catholic village in Pakistan. It is sometimes referred to as “Pakistan’s Vatican,” because this village, with its close to 8,000 Catholics and extremely active Church life, is a pillar of strength for the …

ACN Project of the Week – India

A vehicle for an extensive parish in a remote region   The parish of Saint Francis Xavier is situated in Lazu, a remote parish in the Diocese of Miao (Northeast India), close to the border with Myanmar. The parish has 10 outstations* and a total of around 2,500 Catholic faithful. The people of this region …

Pakistan-Abductions and forced conversions of young Christian women increasing

Head of Justice and Peace Commission sees little progress in religious freedom. The director of the Catholic National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) in Pakistan, Father Emmanuel Yousaf (Mani), says abductions and forced conversions of young women from Christian minorities are on the rise. “The problem is becoming more acute day by day,” the …

Pakistan: Justice served at last

A Christian man in Pakistan, who languished in jail for nearly eight years, has been released after he was acquitted by a court in Lahore. Humayun Allahrakha (formerly known as Humayun Faisal Masih), now 32, was burning newspaper in Sanda, a town in Lahore District, in May 2015 when Muslim onlookers accused him of blasphemy, …

Pakistani Catholic escapes forced conversion to Islam

For years, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been highlighting the suffering of women and young girls subjected to abduction and forced conversion in countries around the world. Many cases go unknown, but shocking testimonies like the story of Kinza Sindhu (14) show the urgency of this issue. Kinza was raped and forcefully …

India – Supporting the formation of 25 young religious women

ACN Project of the Week The congregation of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod was founded in France and has been established in India ever since 1886. Today, the religious sisters are present in the capital, New Delhi, and in 17 of the federal states of the country. They are dedicated to the service …