Honduras: “Communities that used to kill each other now pray together”

Life is not easy for Christians in Honduras, who must deal with criminal gangs, poverty, and a shortage of vocations. Veronica Katz, head of section for Central America at the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), recently visited the country and says that the fruits of pastoral work and the commitment …

Peru – Genaro, an example of faith and love for Our Lady!

An Irish missionary tells Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the love that the Peruvian people have for Our Lady and how Protestant sects take advantage of the shortage of priests in the country to aggressively convince Catholics to leave the Church. “Oh Father, thanks for visiting. I need to speak to you.” …

Colombia: Walking to Heaven together

A young priest speaks of the challenges and joys in bringing the sacraments to the most isolated communities in the Colombian Amazon. Father Jonathas Fernandes is only 33, but he already has an impressive resume as a missionary. He was only a child, in his native Brazil, when he felt a calling to the priesthood: …

India – Seminarian ministering in dangerous jungle ordained priest

A brave Catholic seminarian who spent his pastoral placement ministering in India’s remote, cobra-infested jungle has been ordained last Sunday. Then Deacon Santosh Kumar has been ministering in the parish Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Kalapahad, North Andaman, where parishioners regularly walk 6 km through dangerous forests to attend Sunday Mass. But Deacon Kumar and …

“The light of faith and the witness of the Gospel can shine again.”

Darayya, Syria Fifteen Catholic families are able to return to the Christian quarter of a suburb of Damascus thanks to the reconstruction of their homes with the help of ACN. This will secure the Christian presence in the place where, according to various Christian traditions, the conversion of the Apostle Paul occurred.  An elderly couple …

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) head office receives pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fátima

A pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fátima, blessed by Pope Paul VI in 1967, was recently at the international head office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Königstein im Taunus, Germany. ACN International’s executive president, Regina Lynch, stressed the connection between the charity and the message of Fátima, referring to the …

ACN approves massive solar panel package

In Lebanon and Syria, these projects will help the Church face the electricity crisis As the world celebrates the 30th anniversary of World Sun Day on May 3, and to underscore the importance of renewable energy resources, international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is highlighting how solar panels are making a …

International Women’s Day – March 8

Women: a crucial support in Ukraine On International Women’s Day, international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) highlights all the brave wives, sisters, mothers, and religious who are helping keep faith and hope alive in war-torn Ukraine. The war in Ukraine is not only an assault on an independent nation, struggling to …

Argentinian Patagonia: mission country

The Church in Patagonia faces unique challenges marked by vast distances, great diversity, and a lack of resources. One of the bishops in charge of overseeing the development of the Church in this vast territory of Argentina is Msgr. Roberto Álvarez, who sat down with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) to share his …

Venezuela marks 140 years of the first Lourdes pilgrimage in the Americas

The pilgrimage was instituted in 1884 by Fr. Machado, the Venezuelan priest in the Diocese of La Guaira, after returning from a trip to the famous shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes in France. Tony Pereira, a lay member of the current organizing committee, spoke to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the …