"We lost a child from Mother Teresa's orphanage. So, yes, it is painful, but at the same time, we know they are with God. They are present in Heaven to intercede for peace, justice, and forgiveness of sins, for all of us and for those engaged in war.”

“I was a child, but I will never forget when our parish priest arrived and gave me the Child’s Bible. With this Bible, I learned about the Lord, about the story of salvation, and with it, I fell in love with God. This God I fell in love with called me to the priesthood, and this is the Bible I took with me to the seminary."

Although ten members of the family were able to escape, Masih was critically injured before the police arrived and removed him from the mob. He was taken to the hospital for urgent medical care.

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI called upon the global Church to pray for the Church in China on May 24th, emphasizing the significance of the Marian sanctuary of Sheshan. He encouraged believers worldwide to pray for the unity of the Church in the country and to demonstrate their solidarity and support for Chinese Christians.

Father Gbuzuo is the fourth priest to be kidnapped in Nigeria this year. Claretian Fathers Kenneth Kanwa and Jude Nwachukwu were taken in February, and Tony Mukoro, a priest from the Diocese of Benin City, was taken in March. All were safely released.

During the war, the churches in the area were subject to vandalism and their icons were stolen. The destruction of Darayya came at a huge cost to its historical diversity - the suburb of Damascus is notable for its historic Christian presence, dating back centuries. Some Christian traditions hold that Darayya is close to where the conversion of the Apostle Paul took place on his way to Damascus.