acn project Tag

Success Story: Support given for Year of the Family

24.10.2019 in ACN International, Belarus

Belarus

Success Story: Support given for Year of the Family

Belarus is a country which knows numerous problems. The country, which gained its independence in 1991, is considered by many international observers to be a dictatorship. Most see little hope or future prospect for themselves and many young people often try escaping their despair and frustration by turning to drugs. The suicide rate is alarmingly high.

In an effort to support families and give them new hope The Catholic Bishops’ Conference and its Marriage and Family Commission, declared 2019 to be a “Year of the Family.” In this optic, a range of different activities have been organized and will be continuing throughout this year. Training sessions and counselling for married couples and families will be offered as well as ongoing training and retreat days for those working in the Catholic marriage and family counselling services. While prayer campaigns and a congress of family associations in the capital, Minsk are also on the horizon.

Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, we were able to contribute $10,500 towards the cost of these valuable initiatives.

On behalf of all the families and individuals who have, and continue to benefit from them, we offer you our heartfelt thanks!

ACN Feature Story – Crimea: A worsening slide into poverty

30.09.2019 in ACN Canada, Adapted by Amanda Bridget Griffin, by Matthias Böhnke

Crimea

A worsening slide into poverty

For many families in Crimea, their financial situation makes going on summer holidays together just a pipe dream. As soon as school closes for the holidays, many children have to spend their time on the streets while their parents earn a living. To offer children and adolescents meaningful activities and prospects in regions where Christians are living under difficult conditions, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) donates funds for holiday camps each summer. An offer that is received with great enthusiasm and gratitude.

The difficult economic situation in Crimea is worsening. Since the peninsula in the Black Sea was annexed by Russia, wages and earnings have decreased while prices, particularly those of food, have soared. A situation that most negatively impacts the poorer part of the population.

“In comparison to 2013, salaries in the first half of 2017 dropped by 18 per cent and pensions by 14 per cent,” reported the Roman Catholic bishop of Odessa-Simferopol, Mons. Jacek Pyl, OMI. “The average pension in Crimea is only about 8,500 roubles, or 165 dollars. Every third person is at risk of sliding into poverty in the near future.” However, although earnings have decreased, the cost of living has skyrocketed due to the import ban on foods such as meat, fish, milk products, vegetables, fruit and nuts that Russia imposed in response to sanctions: “The prices of these and other products have doubled within the country since 2014 and the prices of many everyday items have even tripled in Crimea,” the Bishop deplored.

Respite: Holidays with God

According to Bishop Pyl, the increase in the number of families in Crimea that are living below the poverty line has been particularly steep. The risk of poverty for families with up to two children is 66 per cent, for families with three or more children it is even up to 78 per cent. Many families cannot afford to go on holiday. “However, the risk of becoming addicted to computers, the Internet, drugs or alcohol is particularly high for children and adolescents who spend their holidays on the streets, bored,” explained the Bishop, who is grateful that ACN supported two holiday camps held in Crimea with the theme Holidays with God. These ACN projects are offered to young people irrespective of their religion and gives them something meaningful to do during the holidays.

One of the participants, Bogdan Loginov, described the time he spent at the holiday camp, which was run by religious Sisters: “In addition to the many nice activities, we learned a lot of new things in catechesis during the holiday camp. It was never boring and I met a lot of new friends. If it hadn’t been for the camp, this summer would have gone by without anything meaningful happening. I am hoping that it will be held again next year.”

“This is the age at which many young people have a lot of unanswered questions: how should I live, who do I want to be and what should I live for? These summer camps are not just about recuperation, but also about the future of the country and the Church, because it is very important to communicate and live Christian values,” Bishop Pyl said.

This perfectly describes what 15-year-old Andrej Prospunov experienced: “You have a lot of questions during your teenage years. You perceive the world differently and more intensely. However, when you begin to challenge things, this is not always good for your own religious beliefs. But thanks to the summer camp, my friends and I understand that you can remain religious even if you are having doubts – and more than that: that belief in God and the experience of community with believers of the same age are wonderful things. The participants came from different religious communities. But in spite of this, we noticed that we are all one through our faith. Thank you to all the organisers and particularly to all the people who made this time possible for us through their financial support!”

Thanks to the philanthropy of our benefactors all over the world, the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) was able to donate more than 495,000 this year to support 30 summer camp projects for children and adolescents – a reflection of the great generosity of 330,000 benefactors around the world.

A special project in Cameroon – Conversion in Prison

04.10.2018 in ACN BENEFACTORS, ACN Feature, ACN Interview, ACN PROJECTS, Africa, Africa, Cameroon, CONSTRUCTION, Sisters

CAMEROON – CONVERSION IN PRISON

ACN renovates the chapel in Bafoussam prison

Sister Orencya, a Pallottine Sister, gives her service for the Church in Cameroon. She has been a missionary in the prison environment. For nearly a decade, she has been visiting prisoners twice a week at Bafoussam Central Prison. This prison is composed of a women’s ward, an adult men’s ward and a youth ward. Altogether, there are about 1,000 prisoners.

The Christian community, under the patronage of Marcel Callo, (deported by the German gestapo to the concentration camps because he was Christian) has held a presence in the prison for 20 years now. A chaplain facilitates and is supported by volunteers from the Justice and Peace Association, novices from Xavierins Fathers, Sister Orencya and catechist detainees. In addition to attentive listening to the prisoners and providing material help (medicines, clothing, food), times of prayer, catechesis and mass are all organized for the imprisoned.

Sister Anna Kot from the Pallontine Sisters in Cameroon sent the photos together with the following lines: “Hello, A few days ago, we sent you the letters of thanks and request for grant 2018. Now we send some pictures of our apostolate in Cameroon. I do it as secretary in the name of the superior delegate, Sr. Véronique Sakowska. With the best regards and expressions of respect.”

ACN financed the rehabilitation of the chapel in 2017. Several inmates wrote letters of thanks. Here are some excerpts:

“You have turned our chapel into paradise”

“Many of the faithful have converted and many who did not come to church are now the first to arrive in the chapel on the Lord’s Day. You have, through your actions, attracted souls who have made a firm resolve to change and to be baptized.”

“As God never abandons His children when they cry for help, He has sent an angel among us: Sister Orencya, to listen to our cries and transmit them to you. Thank you for everything you do for us inmates. Many prisoners have converted because of our improved life in the prison environment. Many follow catechesis classes and are part of prayer groups in our Marcel Callo community. By receiving much support from you, we have understood that we are not abandoned despite our faults and that the Lord is always with us. Thanks to God and thanks to you, I consider myself happy to live my detention in the peace, joy and love of Christ.”

“God allowed me to enter this prison to know him. Outside, I lived in debauchery. In this prison, I am a path of conversion and radical change of my mentalities. All this thanks to God and through you through the manifestation of His goodness in my life”.

In his letter of thanks, the chaplain explains the choice of the patron saint: Marcel Callo.

“Marcel Callo was deported by the German gestapo to the concentration camps in Germany. His motive: his detractors said that he was a Christian. He will die there at the age of 23. During his detention, he devoted his time to serving his brothers. Today, following Christ, through daily prayers, Eucharistic celebrations by the priests of the Sacred Heart and catechesis, the Marcel Callo community continues the work of evangelization within the prison. This environment makes everyone happy. »

ACN has promised to continue supporting the prison ministry in Cameroon and has just approved a $13,590 project for pastoral care of prisoners in the main prisons of Kumbo and Nkambe in the Anglophone area of the country.