A priest has warned that terrorists are “sneaking” into villages after a suspected suicide attack in northeast Nigeria resulted in multiple deaths. Father Joseph Fidelis, from the Diocese of Maiduguri, told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that attacks by extremists had been happening in nearby villages for two weeks before a devastating attack on March 16, which saw 28 killed. Fr. Fidelis said, “On Sunday night, they attempted to infiltrate the town, but the military sighted ...

Bishop Bonnici offers spiritual plan of life to his new flock in Rochester. Bishop John S. Bonnici, a member of the board of directors of Aid to the Church in Need-USA, was installed as bishop of Rochester in upstate New York on March 19 — the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Until now, Bishop Bonnici has been an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, and a pastor in Larchmont, N.Y. He has been on ACN-USA’s board since 2007. Before ...

With yet another blow to regional stability, many Christians in the Holy Land believe it is time to leave. Yet the mission of the Church remains, bringing hope and dignity to people in their daily lives. The director of the Development Office of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (LPJ), George Akroush, was in Germany when Israel and the USA began a major military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran. With all flights to Israel canceled because Iran’s retaliation attacks ...

The last entirely Christian village in the West Bank, Taybeh, east of Ramallah, has been enduring a wave of attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers. Hostile acts include setting fire to agricultural lands, cars, and the walls of an ancient church; hateful and threatening graffiti; releasing livestock into the village – not to mention the numerous military checkpoints at the entrances to the town. On February 8, 2026, the Israeli government adopted an administrative decision strengthening the authority of its ...

ACN representative in Lebanon expresses mixture of exasperation and hope in midst of humanitarian crisis The day before Israel began a new military campaign in Lebanon, many people there were expressing relief that the country had not been dragged into the Mideast conflict. But then Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel, to retaliate for the US-Israel military operation in Iran. And Israel renewed its campaign against Hezbollah strongholds. Now, said Marielle Boutros, Project Coordinator ...

The Christian community has refused the official account that Marqas Masih committed suicide, and claim instead that he was murdered. Two men have been arrested. Church leaders are demanding justice after a Christian laborer in Pakistan was found hanged at a farm outbuilding, amid growing suspicions that he was tortured to death. The body of Catholic man Marqas Masih, 22, was reportedly discovered at the farm outside the city of Sargodha, in Punjab. Marqas Masih‘s family say the farm owner ...