It is with sadness and gratitude that Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) bids farewell to Bishop Paul Thabet Habib of Alqosh, who passed away on June 20, following a battle with cancer. To us, he was not only a close partner, but a true companion in mission.  Bishop Thabet Habib Yousif Mansor Almako played a key role during the most difficult years for Christians in Iraq. In 2014, when ISIS forced more than 120,000 people to flee the ...

The Mercedarian Sisters were the second congregation to suffer an armed robbery in a matter of days, as the violence in northern Mozambique steadily worsens.   The Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in the Diocese of Pemba, Mozambique endured a near-death experience on June 8, when the home they run was broken into by a group of men armed with guns and machetes.  The four sisters, who care for about 30 young girls, were robbed of all their valuables and ...

“We feel that we are alone”: The priest echoes the pain of the Christian community after the attack in Damascus last Sunday.  “Christians in Syria are feeling a great pain. The Christian community throughout Syria is going through a moment of deep sadness: the loss of 30 Christians who died in this attack. So far, there are 54 wounded.” This is what Father Fadi Azar, a Franciscan priest in Syria, said in an interview with Aid to the Church in ...

This week, the US Catholic Bishops Conference is marking their annual Religious Freedom Week, reminding people of the importance of this basic human right and highlighting some areas that need special attention and prayers. One of those areas is Nicaragua. The bishops have set June 25 as a day of prayer for the Central American country, which has seen a sharp rise in the persecution of the Church in recent years. One of Pope Leo XIV’s first acts since becoming ...

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is profoundly saddened and alarmed by the deadly attack that took place on Sunday evening in Damascus, Syria, during a service at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Elias in the Dweila district. According to early reports, an explosion at the church entrance caused at least 20 deaths and more than 50 injuries among those attending and passersby. Regina Lynch, Executive President of ACN International, said: “We are deeply shocked by this tragic ...

The priest in Nigeria who narrowly escaped with his life following one of the country’s worst massacres of Christians has spoken of his determination to stay and help the community rise again out of the ashes of persecution. Father Ukuma Jonathan’s latest interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) comes amid reports that the death toll in Yelewata, Benue State had risen to more than 200, with as many as 20 corpses recently discovered in a ...