Aid to the Church in Need – Red Wednesday 25th November 2020
In Nigeria, around 400 Christians were killed during the first three months of 2020 as villages were attacked, churches burnt and Christians abducted – one kidnapped seminarian, 18-year-old Michael Nnadi, was killed. In April, 32 Christians in Kaduna and Plateau States were slaughtered in their homes as they observed a COVID-19 lockdown.
About 1,000 Christian and Hindu women and girls are abducted every year in Pakistan, according to a human rights organisation in the country, called Movement for Solidarity and Peace.
This year, we would like to bring to your attention Maira Shahbaz (pictured above), a 14 year old Catholic girl, who was abducted at gun point by three men on 28th April 2020 in Medina Town, Pakistan. She was filmed and photographed being assaulted and was then forced to convert to Islam and marry one of her abductors.
For simply being a Christian, countless numbers of people have been killed, have gone missing or been imprisoned indefinitely. They are persecuted all because of their faithfulness to Christ.
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) continues to help Christians all over the world in various ways.
In Pakistan, ACN has supported the case of another 14-year-old Christian girl, Huma Younus, who, according to family, was abducted from her parents’ home in Karachi, last October. The charity also supports people accused of blasphemy in Pakistan with legal and paralegal aid. Since COVID 19 hit Pakistan, some have lost their jobs and found it impossible to put food on the table. ACN has been providing emergency relief packages, offering food and other urgent aid to 3,000 of the most needy families in and around Islamabad, as well as 2,000 families in Lahore and 350 families in nearby Faisalabad.
In Nigeria, ACN has responded in love with projects including trauma care for victims of Islamists, ongoing support for communities under attack and rebuilding churches destroyed by extremists, so that the light of Christ can shine ever more brightly in the darkness of their lives.
Wednesday 25th November 2020 marks the 5th year of Aid to the Church in Need’s ‘Red Wednesday’. Red Wednesday is a week of international action, where we show solidarity with our persecuted brethren around the world.
There will be various activities going on in the UK on Red Wednesday to raise awareness about the plight of Christians and we would love for you to take part.
Maira Shabhaz, the young girl we mentioned above, will be one of 3 guest speakers at the ACN ‘Set Captives Free’ report launch event taking place on Red Wednesday in the Houses of Parliament. The ‘Set Captives Free’ report explores four particular cases of Christians who have been unjustly detained for their faith, along with a wider look at the growing issue of religious persecution. The other 2 guest speakers will be Archbishop Kaigama of Abuja, Nigeria, and Rob Flello, Former MP.
The event will be streamed live online, from 4:30pm – 6pm on 25th November.
Please register online using the following link: https://acnuk.org/event/redwednesday-digital-event/
We also invite you to join in praying the ACN Novena leading up to Red Wednesday, which began on Tuesday 17th November. Please use this link for details: https://acnuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/RedWednesday-Novena-Praying-for-an-end-to-Christian-Persecution.pdf
Please come online for Holy Mass at 6pm on Red Wednesday at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Farm street.
Please register online using the following link: https://acnuk.org/event/redwednesday-london-event/
Please consider offering a Mass for suffering Christians using the following link: https://acnuk.org/get-involved/mass/?gclid=CjwKCAiAqJn9BRB0EiwAJ1Szteeaqq8EdEmv6nkcvUG1EsnuHiq1jIyjTX1620WM40AM90P7BisoHhoCpvIQAvD_BwE
If you are in a position to contribute financially, then please click on the following link to make a one off or regular donation: https://acnuk.org/get-involved/donate/
And… last but not least, please do consider wearing something red on Red Wednesday to raise awareness (no glasses I’m afraid this year ☹)
For further information about these and all events taking place for Red Wednesday and in general, please visit the following website: https://acnuk.org/events/
Thank you for taking the time to read this and we hope you are able to participate in some way!
God bless you.
Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL) ACN Parish rep, on behalf of OLOL Parish ACN team