Project In Focus
We give thanks every day for all you do for our brothers and sisters in crisis.
Your support and prayers are vital to our mission and are never taken for granted.
For the Church, Africa is a continent of hope. Not only is the number of faithful growing, but the number of priests is, too. In fact, many priests worldwide now come from Africa.
The priests live their vocation with joy and commitment, though their conditions are often difficult. In the Diocese of Masvingo, in south-east Zimbabwe, there are just 65 priests for about a quarter of a million Catholic faithful, and the region is over 27,000 square miles. The distances they travel are enormous, and the greater part of the diocese is rural.
News of the Suffering and Persecuted
Lawyer urges: On religious freedom, “action is needed”
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the International Day Commemorating Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. August 22nd marks the fifth anniversary of the International Day Commemorating Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, as established by the UN General Assembly in 2019. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) recently interviewed Dr. Ewelina Ochab, a lawyer, ...
Teaching under Fire: The mission of the Catholic Church in Gaza
Despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Father Gabriel Romanelli is working to create a sense of normalcy through education. The parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City has made it a priority to ensure that children in the community continue to receive “remedial” schooling. It has been more than ten months since the start of the war in Gaza. ...
ACN supports more than 1,600 summer camps worldwide
The holiday camps, which are hosted in regions afflicted by war and conflict, offer temporary relief to suffering youth; participants can engage in carefree activities and develop their faith. ACN project partners report that for many young people, these camps are the most anticipated event of the year. This year, there are more than 1,600 youth summer camps in 18 countries ...
Young widow beaten in Pakistan
After being accused of blasphemy, a Christian mother of two was cornered in a field in Pakistan and beaten by a mob. Saima Farhad Gill, who is also a widow and lives in a village near Gojra, was saved by police and taken into custody. She was charged under Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws. Saima’s neighbors claimed that they had found documents ...
Attacks on Christians increase in Israel
The Holy Land’s Christians have suffered a “disturbing rise” in attacks, including spitting, physical harassment, damage to property and cemeteries, and the disruption of services. The findings are part of a report by the Jerusalem-based Rossing Center, called “Attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem,” which examined the increase in hostilities toward Churches and their members in 2023. Speaking to ...
Holy Land: Christian message more important than ever
As war rages on in the Gaza Strip, Christians in the West Bank and Jerusalem find themselves in an increasingly desperate situation. Reinhard Backes, the Middle East Project Consultant for international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), reports on a trip to the Holy Land in July 2024, during which he and an ACN delegation met the Latin ...
A Catholic charity serving our suffering and persecuted brothers and sisters around the world since 1947
Projects of the Month
Mass Stipends for Priests in Zimbabwe
For the Church, Africa is a continent of hope. Not only is the number of faithful growing, but the number ...
Three Motorized Rickshaws for Pastoral Work in Colombia
The Apostolic Vicariate of Mitú lies in the Amazon region of eastern Colombia, in an area covering over 21,000 square ...
Help to Build a Parish Church in Indonesia
With 272 million people, Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. But its religious make-up varies from ...
