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 …
A new beginning amid hope and uncertainty As Syria marks the first week of the transition to the new regime, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has gathered firsthand testimonies, providing an on-the-ground look at the current situation in key regions, including Homs and Aleppo, where people are dealing with the uncertainties of a …
Continue reading “Syria – Liturgical celebrations and reopening of schools”
Catechists, often at the risk to their own lives, are pillars of the Church in Burkina Faso. Despite the continuous terrorist threats against them, they assure, in the absence of priests, the continuity of faith in villages and displacement camps. In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a priest from the …
Continue reading “In Burkina Faso, catechists are the heroes of the Church”
Bishop in Damascus, Monsignor Georges Assadourian The political situation in Syria, which has led to a drastic change in the country’s leadership, continues to deeply affect the lives of its citizens, particularly the Christian communities. Monsignor Georges Assadourian, the Armenian Catholic bishop of Damascus, shared with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in …
Continue reading ““They assured us that everything would be fine and that we should not worry””
A three-year outreach program for all ages The Archdiocese of Dhaka in Bangladesh serves a population of just 85,000 Catholics. As in all the country, Catholics in the capital city of Dhaka are a minority, representing less than 1% of the population. Over 90% of the population in this country of South Asia is Muslim, …
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa says that even though he does not believe there is a short-term solution to the crisis in the Holy Land, he does have hope for the future of Christians in the region. The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem believes that the end of the war in Gaza is in sight but warns that …
Continue reading “A ray of hope for Christians in the Holy Land this Christmas”
In light of the recent developments in Syria, the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) wishes to express its continued commitment to the vulnerable Christian communities in Syria, who have endured many years of war, poverty and uncertainty. Regina Lynch, ACN’s executive president stated: “The fall of the Assad regime and the …
Continue reading “ACN remains firmly committed to supporting Christians in Syria”
In solidarity with those who suffer in silence for their faith During #RedWeek, from November 17 to 27, 2024, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) united people from all around the world to pray for persecuted Christians. Worldwide solidarity and prayer vigils, as well as the illumination of over 1,000 monuments, churches, and public …
Continue reading “Red Wednesday 2024: The World, United in Red for Religious Freedom”
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 …
Continue reading “Mexico: “The hardest thing is telling a child their father has been killed.””
New chapels for two remote villages Malawi, a landlocked country of Southern Africa, is among the poorest countries in the world. The parish of Benga lies in the east of the country, close to Lake Malawi, in a region of great poverty. Though only established in 2013, the parish has already witnessed 6,000 baptisms. Still, …
