“The Church is really a rock in Lebanon” as airstrikes intensify

Churches have opened their doors to receive IDPs, but efforts are overstretched operating schools, hospitals, care homes, and orphanages. (Photo of the banner: Fr. Maroun Youssef Ghafari, Maronite parish priest of Alma Sha’b in 2025, at the border with Israel. Rubbles of the war of 2024 are still visible.) As another 25 people were killed …

“We will stay, despite the war,” says priest in southern Lebanon

Since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, at the end of February 2026, the southern border of Lebanon has again become a war zone. In this context of increased violence, Fr. Maroun Youssef Ghafari, the Maronite parish priest of Alma Sha’b, on the border with Israel, has decided to stay with his …

Ukraine: “You did not only give us food, but a taste of God”

In Eastern Ukraine, people have grown numb to the danger of air raids but faith is growing. A bishop tells ACN that “without your help, we would be like refugees.” For much of the world, and even for many people inside Ukraine, the war with Russia began in 2022 with the launch of the full-scale …

Four years of ACN support in war-torn Ukraine

The generosity of countless Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) benefactors, from Canada and elsewhere in the world, has helped keep the Church in Ukraine alive and ready to continue helping those suffering most from the full-scale invasion of 2022. When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, millions of people …

In Cuba, support is essential

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada is launching an emergency campaign for Cuba, where the population is facing an extremely difficult situation. Montreal, February 18, 2026 – Due to the fuel blockade and sanctions against the country, the socio-economic situation, which was already precarious, has become simply unsustainable in Cuba. “According to our …

Donetsk – “They cannot realize how much good their help does”

Greek-Catholic Bishop of Donetsk’s message to ACN benefactors. At 45, the Ukrainian bishop, Maksym Ryabukha, is one of the youngest bishops in the world. He is also in charge of one of the most delicate territories in the world, east-central Ukraine, covering the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia. Half of his exarchate – …

Attack on Catholic parish in Gaza: Aid to the Church in Need calls for prayers and support for the Holy Land

Montreal/Königstein, July 17, 2025 – The Catholic parish of the Holy Family in Gaza was severely damaged today in a raid. According to the Latin Patriarchate, three people were killed. Among the injured, the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, sustained a minor injury to his leg. The church suffered major structural damage, and the Christian …

Syria: Deadly attack in Damascus

Aid to the Church in Need expresses its deep sorrow following the deadly attack on Saint Elijah Church in Damascus on June 22, 2025. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is profoundly saddened and alarmed by the deadly attack that took place on Sunday evening during a service at the Greek Orthodox Church of …

“The people of Syria live without dignity or trust”

Despite the very difficult conditions in Syria at the moment, and fear about the future, Archbishop Jacques Mourad believes that the lifting of sanctions will bring new hope. (Banner: December 2024, people in the streets of Aleppo after the downfall of El-Assad’s regime.) The situation in Syria continues to be one of severe poverty and …

Christians eager to help rebuild a Syria based on equal rights

The situation for Christians in Syria varies from city to city, according to local sources, and Christians have greeted with cautious optimism the transitional government’s guarantees to respect religious freedom. Christian leaders in Syria have expressed their willingness to work with the provisional government, following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, to build a new …