ACN annual Westminster Event

ACN’s annual Westminster event will be held on 17^th October 2015 at Westminster Cathedral in London.

The Holy Mass will begin at 10.30am followed by an afternoon of talks in the Cathedral Hall. Invited guest speakers at the event include Melkite Greek Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart of Aleppo, Victoria Youhanna & Fr Douglas Bazi.

Tickets are currently available for benefactors and friends and can be purchased by calling ACN on 020 8642 8668 or through our website.

Visit our website and book early to avoid disappointment:http://ow.ly/QC4NS  

Please Pray for the Kidnapped and Kidnappers

Around 160 Christians are thought to have been captured when extremist Islamist militia Daesh (ISIS) took over the town of Al Qaryatayn near Homs, Syria on Thursday 6^th August according to a priest working in the region. But speaking to Aid to the Church in Need, the charity for persecuted and other suffering Christians, Father Jihad Youssef that the exact number of hostages was unclear.

“But we do not know if all of the remaining Christians were taken as hostages by ISIS, or if some went into hiding. At the end of the week, some 30 Christians succeeded in fleeing from the town. Some are shepherds and they know the region. They fled to Homs.” The Syrian-Orthodox and Syrian-Catholic Bishops of Homs are currently seeking to resolve the problem through contacts, according to Fr Jihad.

In May 2015, one of Fr Jihad’s confreres, Fr Jacques Mourad, was kidnapped in Al Qaryatayn together with Deacon Boutros. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

“We have absolutely no information about Fr Jacques’ condition, or where he is,” said Fr Jihad. “We have tried everything. I do not know how the latest events in Al Qaryatayn will affect our brothers’ situation. If a solution can be found for all of the hostages, perhaps Fr Jacques and Deacon Boutros will be included.”

 

Fr Jihad also expressed his gratitude for the support ACN has provided for Christians in Syria. He said:

“ACN has done so much for us, especially in Al Qaryatayn. We thank the benefactors with all our heart. In particular, I now call on you to pray for our kidnapped brothers and the hostages of Al Qaryatayn. May God bring a change into the hearts of the kidnappers, so that they show mercy to the hostages.”

The charity ACN is particularly active in the Middle East. More than €12 million (£8.4 million) have been spent since the end of 2011 in assistance to the Christians in Syria and Iraq. Recently, ACN has set aside more than €2 million (£1.4 million) for emergency aid in Syria.

Iraqi bishops thank Aid to the Church in Need for building schools for Iraqi refugees.

Iraqi bishops have extended their thanks to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need for its part in setting up schools for refugee children. The schools were erected from prefabricated structures in two Chaldean dioceses and a Syriac-Catholic diocese for the children forced to flee from the terrorist organisation Daesh (ISIS). More than 7200 Christian children are now able to receive their education in what are now eight schools, taught by Christian teachers who also fled Daesh occupied towns. The buildings are also used for catechetical instruction and other church activities.

In a message to ACN, Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil expressed his gratitude to benefactors: “We would like to thank you for your kind support for our community during this difficult time, when thousands of Christian families were forced to leave their homes and properties due to the ISIS attack last June to August 2014.

 

“We are especially grateful for your help for our students in building 5 schools for them in our Archdiocese, the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil, which were completed in the city of Ankawa on land owned by our archdioceses.”

 

The Chaldean Bishop of Zakho and Ammadeya, Rabban Al Qas, also thanked ACN, saying: “The Chaldean diocese of Zakho and Ammadeya will take full responsibility for the administration of 2 schools dedicated to internally displaced persons. Thank you so much for your kind help and caring love. We assure you of our prayers for our benefactors and ask for your prayers. May God bless you all with His care and love.”

 

ACN has provided more than 8 million euros in aid for persecuted Christians in Iraq since August 2014. As well as helping support the construction of school buildings, the aid has funded the purchase of temporary shelter and food provisions.

 

New school opening in Ankawa, Erbil, Iraq

 

 

 St. Mary's School at Mar Elya Street (Sacred Heart Sisters)

 

For more information visit www.acnuk.org 

 

6 August: a day of sorrow, but also the day that God saved us

On 6th August 2014, more than 120,000 Christians were forced to flee from their homes as militants from the terrorist organisation Daesh (ISIS) invaded Qaraqosh. The life of the church in Iraq was changed forever as thousands were made to live as destitute refugees inside or outside of the country. To commemorate the day, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is holding an international prayer event to remember those who... are still internally displaced within their homeland one year later.

Speaking to ACN, Baghdad-born Chaldean priest Father Douglas Bazi who works with Iraqi refugees in Erbil added his voice to the call for prayer: “The 6th of August is a day of sorrow, but also the day that God saved us. We are, after all, still alive. We will celebrate a mass. We cannot forget what happened. However, we will ask God to forgive the perpetrators and to change their thinking.”

ACN has been able to support Christian refugees in Iraq in many ways. Immediately following the events of 6th August last year, a delegation travelled to Iraq to assess the situation and since then about 7 million euros* have been spent to house and care for the people and construct a number of schools for refugee children. Today, on 6th August 2015, ACN asks for prayers for Christians in need in Iraq.

 

For more information visit www.acnuk.org