For three months, Gaza received no aid convoys, which meant that the Holy Family parish had to ration its resources to feed the Christians within and some of the families that live nearby.  The situation in Gaza, in the Holy Land, continues to be “very bad,” according to Father Gabriel Romanelli, who is responsible for the only Catholic parish in the territory.    When the current war in Gaza broke out, the entire Christian population took refuge in the Holy Family ...

On the occasion of the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly in Rome (May 30–June 1), the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is launching a special edition of its emblematic Child’s Bible, a classic in children’s catechesis that has accompanied millions of families all over the world since it was first published in 1979. During one of the main events of the Jubilee, the Family Festival and Prayer Vigil on May 31, ACN will ...

The Sisters of Charity of Cardinal Sancha occupy a special place in the hearts of many Cubans, who know they can count on the “Sanchinas” when they need help. The congregation was founded on the island in 1869 to help the disabled and poor children. Over time, they extended their reach to cover education, support for families and the elderly, vocational schools, and pastoral work in parishes. Sanchina Sisters Isabel and Leonida carry out this work in Camagüey, the third-largest ...

The close collaboration between Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) and now-Pope Leo XIV blazed a trail of service and evangelization in Peru. From the Andes to the Amazon, ACN’s projects carry hope and a pastoral presence to where it is most needed.   In this interview, Peruvian Luis Vildoso, who is responsible for ACN’s projects in Latin America, speaks about the fruits of this work and the current challenges that the Church in Peru faces.   ACN worked closely ...

A community of Christians in northern Iraq might be forgiven if they feel forgotten by the world. Their numbers, already small, are dwindling. Their religious rituals might feel foreign to most Catholics in the West.   “Sometimes we think that we have nothing to offer, that we are few in numbers, and dwindling,” said Syriac Catholic Archbishop Nathanael Nizar Wadih Semaan of Adiabene, northern Iraq.   But Archbishop Nizar, as he is known, was in Rome this week for a pilgrimage during ...

It was a scene that could have taken place in any Catholic sacristy these days. An altar boy shows up to serve Mass, and the priest notices that the shirt he’s wearing displays his loyalty to a particular sports team. The priest kiddingly tells the boy he should be supporting a rival team, the one that he supports.  But in this case, it happened in Peru, and the priest was the bishop of the diocese – and the man who ...