The Voice of the suffering in Africa

The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is calling for a 24-hour Global Day of Prayer for Peace in Myanmar, which will be celebrated on February 1st. On this date, which marks an important anniversary in the country’s recent history, the foundation’s headquarters and 23 national offices will join forces, inviting people from all over the world to join in a spirit of solidarity and hope.  The day will be divided into prayer shifts, allowing global participation ...

The Diocese of Nouna thanks ACN for supporting catechists.  Thanks to help from ACN, the Burkinabé Diocese of Nouna has been able to provide six months of basic foodstuffs to 30 internally displaced catechists in the parishes of Nouna, Solenzo, and Saneba, so they can feed their families and help other people in need.  “In the name of his excellence, Bishop Joseph Sama, and the various priests of the parishes which have benefited, we convey our deep gratitude for your ...

Father Marcelo Oliveira accuses neighboring countries of instigating the violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where rebel groups did not even respect a Christmas truce. Christmas was a difficult time for the people of North Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have been filled with constant fear and anguish because of armed groups that are active near the border with Rwanda. In a message to Aid to the ...

The Diocese of Maroua-Mokolo in the extreme north of Cameroon has suffered sporadic attacks from Boko Haram. Monsignor Bruno Ateba tells Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about his hope for the future through spiritual and educational formation programs, especially for young people and families. He also explains the importance of translating the Bible into Mafa, a powerful tool to strengthen the faith of a majority Christian tribe.   Since 2013, your Diocese of Maroua-Mokolo, on the border with Nigeria, ...

Two religious sisters, Vincentia Nwankwo and Grace Okoli, were abducted last Tuesday, January 7th, in Anambra State, in southeastern Nigeria. They belong to the congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ, which has appealed to all the faithful, through a statement sent to Aid to the Church in Need International, to pray for their “unconditional release.”  Sister Vincentia María, the principal of Archbishop Charles Heerey Memorial Model Secondary School Ufuma, and Sister Grace Mariette, ...

Just over a year after extremists murdered more than 300 people in coordinated attacks on Christian villages in Plateau State, Nigeria, the faithful gathered for a special Mass to remember the victims last Sunday, January 5th.  Bishop Michael Gobal Gokum of Pankshin celebrated the Epiphany Mass at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Bokkos for all those killed in their homes and on their farms on Christmas Eve 2023. Father Andrew Dewan, director of communications in Pankshin Diocese, told ...