Projects in Need
Evangelization Courses on Digital Media in Sri Lanka
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Almost 70 percent of the approximately 22 million people in Sri Lanka are Buddhist, while Catholics number somewhere around 1.45 million – and roughly half of them live in the Archdiocese of Colombo. This number includes about 150,000 young people. Like young people everywhere in the world, these youngsters are also fascinated by social media and artificial intelligence. And so this is increasingly becoming a topic that the Church has to and wants to engage with, since it involves many ...
The Training of 50 Seminarians in Mozambique
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Africa is a continent of hope for the Catholic Church. Worldwide, one in every five Catholics now comes from the African continent, as does one in every seven priests and roughly one in every three seminarians. Not surprisingly, therefore, vocations are also on the rise in the Diocese of Tete in northwest Mozambique. Right now, 34 young men from this diocese are currently studying in various seminaries around the country, and another 16 are currently being trained at the propedeutic ...
Retreat Days for 54 Priests in Rwanda
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The Diocese of Gikongoro lies in southern Rwanda. It includes 20 parishes with about a quarter of a million Catholic faithful. Although the name of the diocese is not exactly familiar to most people abroad, nonetheless, many Catholics around the world have heard of the Marian shrine of Kibeho, which is located within the diocese. Our Lady is honored here under the title of “Nyina wa Jambo,” or “Mother of the Word.” The shrine was formally recognized by the Catholic ...
A Host-Baking Machine for a Convent in Malawi
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Most of the hosts, or altar breads, which, during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, become the Body of Christ in the hands of His priests, are in fact manufactured by contemplative religious sisters, working in prayerful silence. This work is not only ideally suited to the contemplative life but, at the same time, represents a vital service to the local church, since every parish needs these hosts in order to celebrate the Holy Eucharist – the source and summit ...
Mass Stipends for 16 Priests in Argentina
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Since ancient times, the Catholic faithful have supported their priests and showed their appreciation for their ministry by means of Mass stipends. In essence, this involves asking the priest to celebrate Holy Mass for a particular intention and, in return, supporting him with a financial or equivalent contribution. This is not a matter of “paying” for the Holy Mass – which is impossible – but of expressing love and gratitude for such a priceless gift. At the same time, however, ...
Mass Stipends for 44 Priests in Zimbabwe
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The Diocese of Chinhoyi in northern Zimbabwe covers a vast area of over 20,000 square miles – considerably larger than some whole countries, like Switzerland or the Netherlands, for example. As a result, the diocese’s 22 parishes all cover very large areas, with numerous scattered villages that the priests have to minister to. The people here urgently need the support and guidance of a priest in their faith life: someone to bring them the sacraments, to help them grow in ...
Ongoing Training for 300 Catechists in Ethiopia
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The apostolic vicariate of Hawassa (Awassa) is in southern Ethiopia and covers a vast region of approximately 45,560 square miles, or roughly one-third the size of Germany. The vicariate is divided into just 20 parishes, each of which covers numerous villages, many of them extremely remote in isolated and inaccessible areas. Some of these villages have a chapel of their own, since the nearest parish church is simply too far away. In most of these small villages, it is only ...
Help for the Chaplaincy Outreach at a University in Lebanon
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Ever since 2019, Lebanon has been going through one of the gravest economic crises in recent history. Such is the collapse that somewhere between half and three-quarters of the population is now living below the poverty line, with even the middle classes suffering extensive poverty. This situation is a result of a combination of factors – structural corruption, political paralysis, a massive financial crisis, successive military conflicts, and the permanently overhanging danger of war in the region. On top of ...
Help to Repair a Solar Water Heating System for a Seminary in Ukraine
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The city of Ushhorod lies within the Greek Catholic eparchy – or diocese – of Mukatshevo in West Ukraine, on the border with Slovakia. This area is more remote from the ongoing war and has taken in thousands of refugees. The Greek-Catholic seminary here – named after the martyred Bishop Theodore Romzha, murdered in 1947 and beatified by Pope John Paul II in June 2001 during his visit to Ukraine – has been supported by ACN since its very beginnings. ...
A Youth Congress on Evangelization in the Amazon Region
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The Diocese of Juína lies in the heart of the Amazon region and covers a vast territory of nearly 48,000 square miles. Yet it has just 14 parishes, which include a total of 380 local communities. Sadly, experience has shown that many young people have drifted away from the Church. This fact has prompted Bishop Neri José Tondello to sit down together with the youth leaders in the diocese and consider how best to rekindle the enthusiasm of as many ...