“In the hidden recesses of the human heart the grace of a vocation takes the form of a dialogue. It is a dialogue between Christ and an individual, in which a personal invitation is given. Christ calls the person by name and says: ‘Come, follow me.’” Saint John Paul II
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have been able to provide young men and women with books, clothing and basic living expenses as they study and train to become future leaders of the Church and walk the path of God. In fact, today one out of every ten seminarians around the world is supported by ACN donors!
Youth apostolate is a major priority of the Archdiocese of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The challenges facing young people in Ethiopia are immense: many face a future of poverty and unemployment and can only dream of fleeing the countryside for the capital, or even leaving the country altogether for Europe.
The Holy Spirit Sisters are a congregation founded in 1950 in Germany. They work above all in pastoral care, and their role is to support the priests in their work. The Sisters give catechetical instruction, prepare children, young people and adults to receive the Sacraments and organize prayer meetings.
Wonderfully, the Greek Catholic Order of Saint Basil in Ukraine is not short of vocations. Currently there are 48 novices in formation at the seminary in Lviv. In all, the Basilian Order has some 340 members in 29 different monasteries. Their novice house is in Kharkhiv, in East Ukraine, and has its own land and livestock around it.
The far northeast of India is linked to the rest of the country only by a narrow corridor of land. It is one of the poorest regions in India and an area of frequent unrest. In relative terms, the Catholic Church is quite young here. It began to spread here only around the end of the 19th century – and in many regions only in the last few decades. There are some 2 million Catholics living in this region, most of whom belong to ethnic minorities.
The terror of Boko Haram lives not only in Nigeria, but in the northern part of Cameroon, too. While organized armed attacks by Boko Haram have decreased in the face of a united military offensive by several African countries, there continue to be suicide bombings, murders and abductions in the affected areas. Many people are still living in fear. The Catholic Diocese of Maroua-Mokolo in the Far North Region of Cameroon must contend with this reality.