ACN Project of the Week – Brazil

Subsistence aid for 30 religious sisters The Diocese of Cajazeiras lies in the northeast of Brazil, widely regarded as one of the poorest regions in the country. It is a region afflicted by severe droughts, and the people of this very rural area are for the most part very poor. Not surprisingly, the diocese also …

Project of the Week – Venezuela

Rebuilding a parish house destroyed by a tropical storm Venezuela is regularly hit with tropical storms and other natural disasters, and the country was particularly hard-hit by the passage of Hurricane Julia in October 2022, which caused extensive damage. Tens of people died, and countless houses were destroyed. Among the places hardest hit by the …

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 …

Project of the Week – Ecuador

Supporting the prison apostolate in the Archdiocese of Guayaquil Overall, violence is growing alarmingly in Latin America. Ecuador is the sixth worst among the countries affected by this problem. In the years 2021 to 2022 alone, the number of killings increased by over 80%. In the port city of Guayaquil, which has close to three …

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 …

Brazil-Active elderly religious sisters thank ACN for support

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) provides health support to elderly religious sisters in Northeast Brazil. Despite their age, the sisters remain very active in their communities, and continue to pray for their benefactors. Being a consecrated religious is a lifelong commitment, and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in northeastern Brazil …

Venezuela – “The people are hungry for God.”

Ten years after its creation, a neighbourhood named after Hugo Chávez finally has a parish church. Ciudad Chávez is a neighbourhood in the Venezuelan city of Vargas, in La Guaira Diocese, just a few kilometres away from Maiquetía (Simón Bolívar) International Airport. The neighbourhood was built in 2013, as part of the social program of …

ACN Project of the Week – Paraguay

Subsistence support for 12 religious sisters – Vicariate Apostolic of Chaco Paraguayo The “Daughters of Mary Help of Christians” belong to the religious family of the Salesians of Don Bosco and are devoted in particular to the education of young people. Twelve sisters from this community currently live and work in the Vicariate Apostolic of …

Over 200 million dollars in donations for suffering Christians around the world

Montreal, Thursday, June 15, 2023 – Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) presents its 2022 annual accounts which reflect a year of record support. Ukraine was the largest individual recipient of help for projects in 2022, receiving almost 10% of the aid, while Africa was the region that received the most support. …

Brazil – Bishops moved to tears over help received from ACN benefactors

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) was present at the latest bishops’ conference in Brazil, the largest Catholic country in the world. The pontifical charity used the opportunity to spend time with the bishops of the poorest dioceses, but also to share stories of Christian suffering from other countries, namely Nigeria. The international charity …