Light A Candle for Hope and Peace in Syria

From Aid to the Church In Need: Yesterday Aid to the Church in Need received an urgent message with the awful news that the terrorist group calling itself IS (Islamic State) has seized Christian villages in Hassake governorate, north-east Syria and that more than 100 people have been taken captive. Around midnight last night, Archimandrite Emanuel Youkhana, who is helping persecuted Christians in the region, received an update from a contact in the city, which he relayed to us this morning. In brief, he tells us that 24 families from Tel Gouran, 34 families from Tel Jazira, and 14 fighters (12 male and two females) from Tel Hormizd have been captured and taken to the Arab Sunni village of Um Al-Masamier. We don’t have the actual number of people as yet, but we do know that most of them are alive although, chillingly, the men have been separated from women and children. Archimandrite Youkhana tells us that more than 50 families in Tel Shamiran are still surrounded and it is unclear if IS will attack the village. To add to the tension, in Tel Tamar there has been a car bomb explosion as well as sporadic mortar fire into Tel Nasri from across the Khabour River. No casualties have been reported. Obviously the situation is changing on an hourly basis, but you may like to read a fuller account of the information we have.  This is a very frightening situation for the families taken captive and all Christians in outlying villages. When it comes to securing the release of the hostages and the safety of the Christian community we might feel helpless. However, it is within our power to join together in prayer and, strong in collective faith and goodwill, to ask the Holy Spirit to sow seeds of mercy in the hearts of the jihadists. A few weeks ago we received a wonderful prayer from Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III of Damascus. In it he asks us to Light a Candle for peace and hope in Syria. Will you help us join with him this weekend by lighting a candle in your church and pray most earnestly for the safe release of these innocent captives and also for Christ’s abiding peace in Syria, Iraq and the Middle East. Thanks to you, last week ACN was able to rush through 22 projects offering emergency help − fuel, food, medicine − and pastoral help for families in Hassake, Aleppo, Damascus and the surrounding countryside.   In the coming days, we will assess the urgent help required in this new emergency. Thank you for your loyal and incredibly important solidarity in these difficult times. God bless -- You can learn more, find out how to support ACN, or donate here.

Of Your Charity...

Of your charity, pray for the repose of the soul of Fr Frans Van der Lugt.

Here is what Aid to the Church in Need have posted today:

Aid to the Church in Need is appealing for prayers after Fr Frans Van der Lugt SJ, who was overseeing the charity’s aid for Christians in Homs Old City, Syria was shot dead. Fr Frans had been looking after 89 Christians trapped in the Old City who were sheltering in an old monastery – but the number dropped to 20 in February 2014 after a three-day truce between warring sides allowed people to leave the city. First reports stated that the priest was beaten and shot in the head twice. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr Frans, and remember in your prayers all those caught up in the Syrian conflict.

Requiescat in pace.  Amen.

ACN Newsletter: Ukraine - Plea for Prayer

I have just received the latest eNewsletter from ACN, which I copy below.

Please support ACN with your prayers, and with donations if you can. Links to their Facebook, Twiter and Blog accounts are all at the end of this newsletter.

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Ukraine - Plea for Prayer

Dear Friends,

Thanks to you, Aid to the Church in Need has stood with the faithful in Ukraine for many years. Please will you remember those whom we continue to help in your prayers at this crucial time.

The situation in Ukraine has now escalated to violence and bloodshed, but I write to you to relay Auxiliary Bishop Stanislav Szyrokoradiuk’s personal request in a telephone call to ACN, asking us to pray for peace in Ukraine and expressing his gratitude, on behalf of the people, for our solidarity at this time.

Bishop Stanislav brought us news that every day at 3pm the rosary is being said. He also told us that on Wednesday night the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima was removed from one of the chapel tents on Maidan Square just five minutes before it burnt down during the general fighting. So the statue was saved and is still there. The Bishop said: “It is a sign of hope for us”.

In a further communication today, upon hearing the news of the announcement of early elections, Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki expressed his hope that “On these victims, on this blood that was shed, will grow democracy”. The Archbishop stated: “We are experiencing a great solidarity with the faithful not only from the neighbouring countries, but also from the whole world. So many are supporting us with their prayers, by remembering us and also through humanitarian aid. These gestures of solidarity are very important and dear to us.”

Please stand in solidarity as we all pray that a solution is reached that will bring true freedom and lasting peace to Ukraine.

Yours in Christ

Neville Kyrke-Smith
UK National Director

P.S Follow our posts on Facebook and Twitter and read our latest news on the situation in the Central African Republic. 

It's not all right for others

There has been some controversy in the press recently about claims that huge numbers of Christians are being martyred every year.  Personally, I am not particularly interested in the numbers: the fact is that many, many Christians suffer for their Faith throughout the world. 

I have just been reading  the ACN booklet Persecuted but Never Forgotten.  It is chilling but essential reading, documenting the persecution of Christians in many countries around the world. 

It concludes with many suggestions for us (what we can and should be doing) and these words of Pope Francis':


I have a question for you, but don’t answer out loud, only in your heart. How many of you pray for Christians who are being persecuted? How many? Everyone respond in your heart. Do I pray for my brother, for my sister who is in difficulty because they confess and defend their faith? It is important to look beyond our own boundaries, to feel that we are one Church, one family in God! 

Dig deep for the Philippines

Those wanting to give to support people in the Philippines, but wanting to avoid CAFOD and other DEC organisations, due to their various problems (from a Catholic perspective),  do have some other options.  

One is to give directly to Caritas Manila, which you can do via their www site here. 

Another way is via Aid to the Church in Need.  

Sometimes people think that ACN is not an appropriate recipient in these instances, so I encourage you to read what they have to say:

Aid to the Church in Need is giving emergency help for those affected by the typhoon in the Philippines.

We are committed to providing €100,000 which is being channelled through the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. But we desperately need your help as requests for support come in.

Typhoon Haiyan has left more than 673,000 people displaced. The bishops tell us that your help will assist people affected in the areas of greatest need, providing food, clean water, shelter and basic medicine.

Fr. Edwin Gariguez who is coordinating the Bishops’ aid programme told us about people’s pressing needs following the disaster.  

Fr. Edwin said: “Of course the most important needs by the affected communities are food and water. There were reports of looting in the province of Leyte because people are so desperate. There were also reports that the number of dead is increasing.  We are trying to reach areas, which are not mentioned in the media, but we are receiving information from the ground, particularly from parishes from the affected dioceses.

“So many people are crying for help but the magnitude of the calamity is so huge that even the government finds it difficult to reach out all those who are affected by this strong Super-Typhoon.” 

You can donate to ACN here. 

I hate to say this, but...

...CAFOD are yet again calling their right to be associated with the Church into question.

Is it ignorance or incompetence? Or worse?

Did nobody there have the {sense/guts/wisdom} to tell their Head of Media and PR, Damian McBride, that to publish the kind of book he has just published sits rather ill with CAFOD's published values.

I don't know Mr McBride, and have no insight into his motivation, so I pass no comment on that. But I do think that CAFOD, who regularly ask Catholics in this country to put their hands in their pockets and support them as a Catholic Charity, should - and indeed must - do much better than this.

If this were the only question mark over CAFOD, I would almost certainly draw a veil over it. But it seems to be part of a pattern of playing fast and loose with their proclaimed Catholic values that I think is profoundly problematic, as I have mentioned before...

But am I not as guilty of detraction myself, in publishing this post?

I have thought long and hard about this, but do believe that it is necessary, as CAFOD (and its trustees, including, alas, some bishops) have been immune to previous calls to clean up their act; and there is a real risk that many will give money to them on the basis of a misunderstanding (I had almost said misrepresentation), that they are trustworthy and competent.  I think the evidence suggests that is not a safe assumption, and it behoves people to look closely at them and make an informed decision.

For myself, I think there are other more reliably Catholic organisations which merit support, such as Aid to the Church in Need.

Aid to the Church in Need: Persecuted But Never Forgotten Event

I have been asked to publicise this event, on Saturday 19th October, and am happy to do so.

Aid to the Church in Need: Persecuted But Never Forgotten Event

The day begins with a sung Mass at Westminster Cathedral at 10.30am. This will be followed by talks in the cathedral hall.

To mark the launch of the latest edition of our Persecuted and Forgotten? report on Christians suffering for the Faith, Aid to the Church in Need is privileged to welcome two important guests from the persecuted and suffering Church – His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregorios III, head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and Sister Hanan of the Good Shepherd Sisters, Lebanon.

Patriarch Gregorios III will give a personal account of the day-to-day reality facing Christians in war-torn Syria, where he is based, and his assessment of what lies ahead for Christianity in this troubled region.

Sister Hanan and her community are offering crisis help to refugees flooding over the border from Syria and long-term help to Iraqi refugees. She will share stories of hope amid the sorrow and give us a vivid understanding of how the generosity of ACN’s benefactors is making a difference.

Also speaking will be Aid to the Church in Need’s Neville Kyrke-Smith and John Pontifex who will describe their respective project trips to the Middle East and Nigeria.

Tickets for talks are £5.00. For further details and to book tickets please go to ACN’s website.

Peace and Justice in Pakistan: ACN

Aid to the Church in Need is asking supporters to make their voice heard to protect Christians and other minorities in Pakistan.

In association with the British Pakistani Christian Association, ACN is calling for a change to Pakistan's notorious Blasphemy Laws. The laws have been cited as the cause of 14 separate attacks on Christians over the last two months.

You can show your solidarity with Pakistan's faithful - and ask for peace, justice and human rights for all people of Pakistan - by signing their Petition

Aid to the Church in Need UK director Neville Kyrke-Smith will be among those handing in a petition at 10 Downing Street asking the British government to put pressure on Pakistan to amend the laws and protect the rights of religious minorities.

He said: "Please sign for freedom and protection of religious minorities... You will be helping the Christian and other communities who suffer intolerance and persecution due to the present blasphemy laws."

The more people who sign the petition, or come on the march, the louder our voices will speak out - so please do ask your friends and parishioners to get involved.

ACN Walsingham Pilgrimage

I have just received this from Aid to the Church in Need:

Aid to the Church in Need UK – Annual Walsingham Pilgrimage of Hope – Saturday, 30th April 2010

Please join us as Aid to the Church in Need remembers suffering Christians around the world with our 2011 Pilgrimage to the Roman Catholic National Shrine in Walsingham.

ACN is organising coaches from London Victoria, Bressenden Place, departing at 08:00. Should parishioners wish to join us at Walsingham, travelling independently or, perhaps, organising coaches from their locality they are very welcome to do so.

For those who would like to join us on this Pilgrimage and would like more information a brochure and booking form is downloadable from the ACN website . You could also contact us on 020 8642 8668.