Two Albanian martyrs, Father Luigi Paliq and Father Gjon Gazulli, were declared blessed by the Catholic Church, during a ceremony held on Saturday, November 16th, in the city of Shkodër. “These two men were libeled and unjustly harassed, but their witness of forgiveness and love in the face of their persecutors made them examples of holiness,” says Magda Kaczmarek, project director for Eastern Europe at Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).    Kaczmarek and two other members of the international ...

Catholics in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau held a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the troubled country.   Guinea-Bissau never quite achieved stability following its independence from Portugal in 1975, and division and conflict continue to affect the nation today, fueled largely by rampant corruption and money from the drug trade.   The day of prayer and fasting culminated in two eucharistic celebrations, during which Church leaders called on political authorities to listen to the concerns of the ...

A Nigerian bishop committed to helping families who have fled some of the country’s worst persecution and conflict marks the anniversary of his ordination with a heartfelt message of thanks to a leading Catholic charity.   In the decade since his episcopal ordination, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi has witnessed an explosion in the number of displaced families escaping extremists, including Fulani herdsmen who have seized vast swathes of lands, forcing entire communities to flee their homes.  In response, the bishop ...

A young woman from Pakistan who, for years, has demonstrated outstanding bravery in speaking up for suffering Christians, especially women and girls, has been named the recipient of a leading Catholic charity’s Courage to be Christian Award.  Ribqa Nevash will be presented with the award as part of the annual Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) UK #RedWednesday Mass for persecuted Christians, on the evening of November 20th, at the Brompton Oratory in London. Nevash, 24, has been especially ...

Besides the human casualties and material damage, Israel’s war with Hezbollah is causing mass movements of people in a country where demography is always a very sensitive topic, which could cause problems in the future. As Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon continues, those who have been displaced by the bombings and the ones hosting and caring for them are showing signs of physical and psychological exhaustion, says Marielle Boutros, project coordinator for the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in ...

Father Gersaín Paz, the parish priest of one of Colombia’s most dangerous neighborhoods, tells Aid to the Church in Need how faith and music have changed the lives of many children in Cali, the capital of the drug trade, keeping them away from drugs and the temptation of suicide.   “This is Colombia’s biggest misfortune. Crime has become an industry,” laments Father Gersaín Paz, parish priest of Santa Marta, Cali, during a visit to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). ...