In the heart of southeastern Guatemala, the small village of Villa Graciela bears witness to the humility and perseverance of the Church. Thanks to the silent commitment of laypeople, such as Mirna Sucely Ramírez and José Flavio Silvestre, pastoral life flourishes among the community, which has been struggling to rebuild not only the physical structure of the Church of Christ of Esquipulas, but also the faith of its neighbors. This is a story which, thanks to the solidarity of ACN ...

A local priest also tells ACN that jihadists have taken to kidnapping children as part of their insurgency.  Almost 50,000 people have been displaced in the most recent round of attacks in the northern region of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, namely at the end of July and in the first week of August, according to United Nations staff on the ground.  “Between July 20-28, the Diocese of Pemba was particularly impacted by the new wave of brutal attacks, especially the districts ...

The small Catholic community in Finland keeps growing year after year, and relations with its Orthodox and Lutheran brothers and sisters are remarkable.  Imagine a country the size of Italy with only eight parishes and 29 priests, or living 186 miles away from the closest Catholic church. This is everyday life for Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of Helsinki in Finland.   This Nordic country, with its majestic countryside and Lutheran tradition, has only a handful of Catholics, merely 0.2 percent of the ...

With the support of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the international exhibition “The Shroud of Turin” opened its doors in the capital of Kazakhstan, marking a milestone in interreligious dialogue in Central Asia.  An exact replica of one of the most venerated objects in Christianity, the Shroud of Turin, is being displayed for the first time in Kazakhstan. The official inauguration of the international exhibition “The Shroud of Turin” took place on August 1 at ...

Bishop of Bunia: “We need support for displaced priests.”  Following the brutal attack carried out on the night of July 26-27 in the town of Komanda, in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the local Church has raised its voice in condemnation and pain. The attack, which occurred at around two in the morning at the parish of Bienheureuse Anuarite, in the territory of Irumu, in the Diocese of Bunia, resulted in the death of dozens of Christians, ...

A Catholic priest has given a harrowing account of how he nearly lost an eye after being kidnapped by armed extremists in Nigeria and held captive for 51 days.  Father Alphonsus Afina was kidnapped by Islamist terrorists Boko Haram on June 1, 2025.  He was viciously beaten, with his belongings stolen and car torched, before being held captive with other survivors in a remote mountain area. The priest was finally released on July 21, when he returned to his diocese in ...