Child’s Bible: 45 years of teaching children about God’s love
The Vatican is preparing to hold the first World Children’s Day, 25-26 May. Pope Francis, in his message for this occasion, emphasizes the preciousness of every child in God’s eyes. In 1979, ACN marked the “International Year of the Child” by producing the Child’s Bible to assist the Church’s pastoral outreach. Since then, millions of children have learned to pray in their own language by reading the Child’s Bible, in one of the almost 200 languages it is translated into. Testimonies from all over the world attest to this.
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Another priest abducted in Nigeria
Fr Basil Gbuzuo is the fourth priest to be kidnapped in 2024 in Nigeria. Last year a total of 28 priests were kidnapped in the African country.
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New terrorist attacks in northern Mozambique cause mass flight of civilian
Cabo Delgado was ravaged by two major militant offensives. Armed groups, allegedly linked to ISIS, targeted the town of Macomia and the villages of Cajerene and Missufine, exacerbating the region's displacement crisis. As the violence escalates, the Church intensifies its humanitarian response in northern Mozambique.
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Nigeria Leah Sharibu turns 21 in Boko Haram captivity
A jihadist captive turned 21 today (14th May), six years after being abducted from her school in Nigeria and held hostage for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.
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Genaro, an example of faith and love for Our Lady in the Altiplano, Peru
An Irish missionary tells ACN about the love that the Peruvian people have for Our Lady and how Protestant sects take advantage of the shortage of priests in the country to aggressively convince Catholics to leave the Church.
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Heroic staff save pupils as gunmen attack Catholic school at night
Hundreds of children have been kidnapped from schools across Nigeria over the past years, but fortunately, the latest attack on a catholic school was foiled, and nobody was killed or abducted.
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Philippines: Strengthening the faith of Catholics in Mindanao
A groundbreaking formation for catechists is set to begin on the island of Mindanao in the spirit of the Silsilah movement, which marks its 40th anniversary this year. The island has been plagued by interreligious violence and tension for decades, spearheaded by Islamist militant groups.
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Colombia: Walking to Heaven together
A young priest describes the challenges and joys of bringing the sacraments to the most isolated communities in the Colombian Amazon.
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Syria: Christian life returns to the ruins of Darayya
Thanks to the reconstruction of their homes with the help of ACN, fifteen Catholic families are able to return to the Christian quarter of a suburb of Damascus. This will secure the Christian presence in the place where, according to one tradition, the Apostle Paul was converted.
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India: Seminarian ministering in dangerous jungle to be ordained priest
A brave Catholic seminarian who spent his pastoral placement ministering in India’s remote, cobra-infested jungle will be ordained a priest next week.
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Bishops in Burundi: “Forced disappearances and politically motivated murders make one shudder”
Human rights violations are widespread in Burundi, a small country which borders the much larger Democratic Republic of the Congo. For years, the country has been largely isolated from the outside world. Recently, the Burundian bishops drew attention to the country’s plight, which is hardly noticed by the global public.
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ACN approves solar panel package to help Church in Lebanon and Syria
As the world celebrates the 30th anniversary of World Sun Day on 3 May and to underscore the importance of renewable energy resources, Aid to the Church in Need is highlighting how solar panels are making a big difference in the lives of parishes, religious orders and institutions in countries where electricity costs have risen dramatically.
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Honduras: “Communities that used to kill each other now pray together”
Life is not easy for Christians in Honduras, who must deal with criminal gangs, poverty, and a shortage of vocations. Veronica Katz, project coordinator for Central America at the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), recently visited the country and says that the fruits of pastoral work and the commitment of the country’s Catholic community are a source of hope.
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Headquarters of ACN receives pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fátima
A pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fátima, blessed by Pope Paul VI in 1967, was recently at the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Königstein, Germany. The executive president of ACN International, Regina Lynch, stressed the connection between ACN and the message of Fátima, referring to the Virgin Mary, who appeared to shepherd children in 1917, as the organisation’s “patron saint”.
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Sri Lanka: A town stands as a witness to the Resurrection after persecution
Thousands of faithful signed a petition addressed to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, asking that he open a cause for the beatification of the 171 Catholics who were murdered five years ago.
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Catechist kidnapped and killed in Burkina Faso
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its deepest concern and sorrow following the kidnapping and subsequent killing of the catechist Edouard Yougbare from the parish of Saatenga in Fada Gourma, Burkina Faso.
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Brutal killing of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt continue
Local community leaders say that the attacks follow the tactics employed by armed bandits who carried out the Christmas massacres in Nigeria. Religion is a factor in a conflict that also has ethnic and economic roots.
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo: “Our country is not for sale!”
Six bishops from the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have written an “assessment of the pastoral and social situation” of the country following a meeting which took place in Butembo, from 8-14 April, and which paints a desolating picture of the state of the country, criticising the way “the dignity of the Congolese people” is being undermined. The eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri have been under martial law since 2021, due to regular attacks by armed militias, which have even resulted in the surrounding of the city of Goma since the end of February.
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Africa: “The worlds of sport and advertising help to promote illegal emigration”
A bishop from Equatorial Guinea reflects on the causes and consequences of migration in the African continent and asks for a more effective focus on the fight against poverty and illegal emigration.
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Congo-Brazzaville: A forgotten Church
In December, Maxime François-Marsal, the coordinator of ACN’s projects in French-speaking countries in Central Africa, travelled to Congo-Brazzaville, also known as the Republic of the Congo. This nation borders Angola, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among others. In this interview, he speaks about the situation of the Congolese Church and how Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has contributed to its development.
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